How to Make a Stacked Area Chart in Excel

Step-by-step

Area charts are like line charts that show change over time, but with the space between the line and the axis shaded in. The video uses CO2 emissions data to show when each type of area chart works best.

1. A simple area chart

For a single series, such as long-term CO2 levels, click an existing line chart, go to Chart Design > Change Chart Type > Area. It shows the same thing as the line, but is arguably more eye-catching.

2. Stacked area: show parts and the total

A line chart of emissions by world region is messy and hard to read. Change it to an area chart instead, but not the standard one, because the areas hide behind each other. Choose Stacked Area. Now each region’s band sits on top of the last, so you see both each region’s growth and the overall total in one clean chart.

3. 100% stacked area: show changing proportions

To see how each sector’s share of emissions has changed (more like a pie chart over time), use a 100% stacked area chart:

1. Click the first data cell (C3, Transport), then press Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow and Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow to select the data.
2. Go to Insert, open the line/area chart menu and choose 100% Stacked Area.
3. On the Format tab, size it to 5″ high by 9″ wide.
4. Fix the horizontal axis: Chart Design > Select Data > Edit under Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels, then select the years (from 1960 down).
5. Click the title, press Ctrl+A and type Emissions by Sector.

4. Label the areas instead of using a legend

From the Chart Elements (+) button, turn off the legend and turn on data labels. They’ll show values at first, so right-click a set of labels, choose Format Data Labels, untick Value and tick Series Name. Repeat for each series. Make the labels white and a little bigger, then double-click the Format Painter to copy that style to the other labels.

5. Choose colours that stay consistent

You can recolour a series with Format > Shape Fill; stick to theme colours where you can. Changing many charts one by one is slow and inconsistent, so use Page Layout > Themes (or just Colors) to restyle every chart in the workbook at once. Only theme colours update when you switch theme; custom colours stay as they are.

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