Video: Insert a bar chart

Quickly add a bar chart to your presentation, and see how to arrange the data to get the result you want. Customize chart elements, apply a chart style and colors, and insert a linked Excel chart.

Add a bar chart to a presentation in PowerPoint

Use a bar chart to illustrate comparisons over a period of time. When you need a bar chart in a presentation, use PowerPoint to create it, if the data is relatively simple and won’t need frequent updates (otherwise, see Copy an Excel chart below in this summary). Here’s how:

1. Click INSERT > Chart.

2. Click the chart type and then double-click the chart you want. For help deciding which chart is best for your data, see Available chart types.

3. In the spreadsheet that appears, replace the default data with your own information.

4. When you have finished, close the spreadsheet.

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Change the format of data labels in a chart

Copy an Excel chart to another Office program