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How do I sort a bar chart in Excel?

Author

John Peck

Published May 15, 2026

Here's how you can sort data tables in Microsoft Excel:
  1. Highlight your table. You can see which rows I highlighted in the screenshot below.
  2. Head to the Data tab.
  3. Click the Sort icon.
  4. You can sort either column. To arrange your bar chart from greatest to least, you sort the # of votes column from largest to smallest.

Also question is, how do you sort a bar chart?

Under Chart Tools, on the Design tab, in the Data group, click Select Data. In the Select Data Source dialog box, in the Legend Entries (Series) box, click the data series that you want to change the order of. Click the Move Up or Move Down arrows to move the data series to the position that you want.

Likewise, how do you arrange a bar chart in descending order in Excel?

  1. Select the axis, Right Click.
  2. On the Format Axis pane, select Axis Options.
  3. Check the Categories in reverse order.

Also question is, how do I sort a bar chart in Excel without sorting data?

Sort an Excel bar graph descending / ascending without sorting source data

  1. On your Excel bar graph, right click any of the vertical axis labels, and select Format Axis from the context menu.
  2. On the Format Axis pane, under Axis Options, select the following options:

Does it matter how you order the data in a bar graph?

Even though the order of bars does not matter, choosing a certain order provides a particular visual image of the data.

Related Question Answers

How do I reverse the order in Excel?

Click the "Data" tab and click "Sort" from the Sort & Filter section. Select the number column from the "Sort by" drop-down menu and select "Largest to Smallest" from the "Order" drop-down menu. Click "OK" to reverse the column order.

How do I sort a bar graph in Google Sheets?

On your computer, open a spreadsheet in Google Sheets. At the top, click the letter of the column you want to sort by. Right-click the column. Click Sort sheet by A to Z or Sort sheet Z to A.

How do you change the width of a bar chart in Excel 2013?

It's easy to do this in Excel.
  1. Right Click on the bars.
  2. Format data series.
  3. Series Options.
  4. Gap.
  5. You will see a slider.
  6. Slide left or right to change the % width between your bars.

How do I change the shape of a bar graph in Excel?

Here are some simple steps you can take to format a bar chart:
  1. Double-click the chart so you can edit it.
  2. Click one series of bars once to select the series.
  3. Right-click and choose Format Data Series.
  4. On the Patterns tab, click Fill Effects.
  5. On the Shape tab, you can choose a shape other than simple bars.

How do you sort data in a chart?

You can sort chart categories by a category value (in the Axis box) or by a numeric value (in the Values box).
  1. Hover over the top edge of a chart until you see sort by in the upper-left corner, then the name of a field, and then either asc or desc.
  2. Click the field name to sort on a different value.

How do I make a bar graph in Excel without numbers?

Sometimes you need to create a chart without numeric data. You just need a simple yes no chart in Excel.

Just follow these steps.

  1. Enter your non numeric data into Excel sheet and select it.
  2. Go to insert and click pivot chart button.
  3. New window pops out.
  4. Now drag the respondents into values and drag response into legend.

How do you sort a chart in Powerpoint?

Follow these steps:
  1. With the chart selected, click the Chart Tools Design tab.
  2. Choose Select Data in the Data section.
  3. You can only change the values on the left side of the dialog box, so you might have to click the Switch Row/Column button.
  4. Select an item by clicking its name.
  5. Click OK when you're done.

How do you make a bar graph in Excel with one column?

How to Make a Bar Graph In Excel
  1. Open Excel.
  2. Select all the data that you want included in the bar chart.
  3. Be sure to include the column and row headers, which will become the labels in the bar chart.
  4. Click on the Insert tab and then on Insert Column or BarChartbutton in the Charts group.
  5. The chart will appear.
  6. Next, give your chart a name.

How do I reverse the order of the horizontal axis in Excel?

To make this change, right-click and open up axis options in the Format Task pane. There, near the bottom, you'll see a checkbox called "values in reverse order". When I check the box, Excel reverses the plot order. Notice it also moves the horizontal axis to the right.

How do I improve my bar graph?

We are here to help!
  1. Keep Things Simple. Concise, crisp, and clear – that's the general goal of all charts.
  2. Give It a Trust-Worthy Look.
  3. The Axes.
  4. Sort Things Out.
  5. Say No to 3D Effects.
  6. Color Choices.
  7. Give Your Graph the Title and Labels.
  8. Use Graph Templates.

How do you describe a bar graph?

Definition of a Bar graph The bars can be either horizontal or vertical. Bar graphs with vertical bars are sometimes called vertical bar graphs. A bar graph will have two axes. One axis will describe the types of categories being compared, and the other will have numerical values that represent the values of the data.

What is the difference between a bar graph and a histogram?

A histogram represents the frequency distribution of continuous variables. Conversely, a bar graph is a diagrammatic comparison of discrete variables. Histogram presents numerical data whereas bar graph shows categorical data. The histogram is drawn in such a way that there is no gap between the bars.

What is simple bar diagram?

A simple bar chart is used to represent data involving only one variable classified on a spatial, quantitative or temporal basis. In a simple bar chart, we make bars of equal width but variable length, i.e. the magnitude of a quantity is represented by the height or length of the bars.

What is a bar graph explain with an example?

A bar graph (also known as a bar chart or bar diagram) is a visual tool that uses bars to compare data among categories. On a vertical bar graph, as shown above, the horizontal axis (or x-axis) shows the data categories. In this example, they are years. The vertical axis (or y-axis) is the scale.

What is a columnar chart?

What is a Column Chart? A column chart is a type of bar chart that uses horizontal bars with proportional lengths to compare data among categories. The X-axis represents the different categories and the Y-Axis has a scale and indicates the units of measurement.

What is the title of a bar graph?

Required bar graph titles include the name of the graph, the title of the vertical axes, and the title of the horizontal axes. It is important to title bar graphs carefully so the information makes sense and the graph is easy to read and understand. Name the bar graph.

What are the parts of a bar graph?

The following pages describe the different parts of a bar graph.
  • The Title. The title offers a short explanation of what is in your graph.
  • The Source. The source explains where you found the information that is in your graph.
  • X-Axis. Bar graphs have an x-axis and a y-axis.
  • Y-Axis.
  • The Data.
  • The Legend.