How to Create a Combination Stacked Bar and Line Chart in Excel
Question details
The user wants to create a combination chart in Excel that combines a stacked bar or column series with a line series, while avoiding layout bugs and axis errors.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Creating a complex data visualization that requires mixing a stacked bar/column chart with a line graph to compare multiple data types simultaneously.
- Observed behavior
- When attempting to combine these specific chart types, the user sometimes experiences incorrect horizontal lines or encounters secondary-axis configuration errors.
Ensure your data is properly structured in columns with clear headers, and verify that there are no hidden blank rows or text-formatted numbers that could distort the chart axes.
Build a Combo Chart via the Chart Design Tab
Use Excel's built-in Combo chart feature to assign different chart types to individual data series without causing layout conflicts.
Excel natively supports combining stacked columns or bars with line series through the Change Chart Type menu. Setting this up manually ensures each series uses the correct chart type and axis.
Select your entire data range, including headers. Navigate to the 'Insert' tab and click on the 'Insert Column or Bar Chart' icon, then select a standard Stacked Column chart.
Click on the newly created chart to reveal the 'Chart Design' tab on the ribbon. Click on 'Change Chart Type' located on the far right.
In the dialog box, select 'Combo' from the left-hand menu. For your main data series, use the dropdown menus to select 'Stacked Column'. For the series you want as a line, select 'Line'.
If the numerical values for your line series are significantly smaller or larger than your stacked columns, check the 'Secondary Axis' box next to the line series. Click 'OK' to apply.
Troubleshoot Axis Errors Using a Clean Workbook
If you encounter incorrect horizontal lines or errors specific to one file, testing with clean sample data can help identify file corruption or data formatting issues.
Build Stunning Combination Charts for Free with WPS Office
WPS Spreadsheet features a powerful, user-friendly chart engine that effortlessly handles complex combination charts, including stacked bars and lines. It provides seamless compatibility with Excel files while offering an intuitive interface for managing secondary axes without errors.
- 1. Open your data in WPS: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your existing spreadsheet containing the data to be charted.
- 2. Insert a chart: Highlight your data range. Go to the 'Insert' tab on the top ribbon and click the 'Chart' icon.
- 3. Select Combo chart type: In the chart dialog box, navigate to the 'Combo' chart section from the left-hand panel.
- 4. Assign chart types to series: Set your primary series to 'Stacked Column' and the series you wish to overlay to 'Line'.
- 5. Apply a secondary axis: Check the 'Secondary Axis' box for the line series if the data scales differ, then click 'OK' to instantly generate your chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my line chart look flat at the bottom of the stacked bar chart?
This occurs when the values for the line series are vastly smaller than the values in the stacked bars. To resolve this, right-click the line in the chart, choose 'Format Data Series', and select 'Secondary Axis' so the line scales appropriately.
Can I combine a stacked area chart with a line chart instead?
Yes, Excel supports this. Highlight your chart, go to 'Chart Design' > 'Change Chart Type' > 'Combo', and use the dropdowns to assign 'Stacked Area' to one data series and 'Line' to the other.
Why am I getting weird horizontal lines when adding a line series?
Extraneous horizontal lines often happen if your data range includes empty cells that Excel interprets as zeros, or if there is a hidden data series. Check your chart's 'Select Data' settings and ensure 'Hidden and Empty Cells' is set to show empty cells as gaps rather than zeros.
Are stacked bar (horizontal) and line combo charts natively supported?
Mixing horizontal stacked bars with vertical line charts in the exact same view is highly restricted in Excel natively because the axes conflict. It is highly recommended to use vertical Stacked Columns combined with a Line chart for stable results.
