A stacked area chart is a primary Excel chart type that shows data series plotted with filled areas stacked, one on top of the other. A stacked area chart can show how part to whole relationships change over time. They offer a simple presentation that is easy to interpret at a glance.
Pros
- Simple presentation can be red at a glance
- Can show part to whole changes over time
Cons
- Generally harder to add data labels since there is less white space available
- Area charts can imply more data than actually available
A 100% Stacked Area Chart is a built-in Excel chart type, with data plotted as areas and stacked so that the cumulative area always represents 100%. Stacked Area charts can show progression and composition over time, and the 100% Stacked Area Chart is meant to show the percentage that each component contributes when the cumulative total is not important.
In the example above, the number formatting used for percentages is 0% (no decimal places). As a result, the numbers don’t add up to exactly 100 in some cases. To show numbers that do add up to 100, increase the number of decimal places displayed.
Pros
- Can show trends over periods of time
- Can show component contribution changes over time
Cons
- Non-intuitive presentation may be unfamiliar to many
- Hard to read as data series are added
