The Data Visualisation Catalogue




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Proportional Area Chart

Proportional Area Chart

Description

This chart is great for comparing values and showing proportions (in sizes, quantities, etc.) to give a quick, overall view of the relative sizes in the data, without using scales.

Proportional Area Charts usually use squares or circles. However, any shape can be used, so long as you use the shape’s area to represent the data. A common technical error with area charts is using length or height to determine the shape’s size. Instead, you need to calculate the space inside the shape (its area) to determine the size. Otherwise, you will cause exponential increases and decreases.

The downside to Proportional Area Charts is that they're difficult to accurately estimate values from. Therefore, they are typically used for presentational purposes rather than analysis.



Functions

Comparisons
Proportions




Anatomy

Proportional Area Chart

Similar Charts

More Proportional Area Chart variations in this blog post.

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Proportional Area Chart