A bar chart typically displays data values as a set of vertical bars, but you can transpose the axis to display horizontal bars. When you view report data in a chart with vertical bars, you can easily compare the values. A bar chart is useful to show data changes from one time period to another, for example from one year or quarter to another, or to illustrate comparisons among items.

Standard bar charts are side by side, but you can have stacked and percent stacked bar charts that also show the relationship of individual items to a whole. Side‑by‑side bar charts show bars from each series, one beside the other. Each of these bars have the same width. The width depends on the number of series being plotted. Stacked bar charts show bars stacked one above the other. The stacked bar chart shows totals for each series as well as the proportion that each series contributes to the grand total. In a percent stacked bar chart, multiple series are stacked vertically and the values appear as a percentage of the whole.