Stacked area charts are essentially bar charts with the discontinuous breaks removed along the horizontal axis, and categories of data are “stacked” on top of each other. Data therefore is not broken into discrete bars, but is displayed in continuous ebb and flow as defined against the y axis. A stacked area chart is an excellent way to display data that shows the relationship of parts to the whole. Consequently, stacked area charts can be particularly useful for illustrating changes that are plotted over a period of time.
