Trend · Chart 4 of 11
Area chart
A line with the volume beneath it filled in.
Live exampleSample data
Use it when
- Emphasising magnitude of a single trend
- Showing a cumulative total over time
- Stacked composition over time (with care)
Avoid it when
- Comparing many overlapping series (they hide each other)
- When precise values matter more than the overall mass
Common mistakes
- 1Opaque overlapping areas hiding data
- 2Stacking so many bands the trend is unreadable
In business
Cumulative revenue, traffic volume, total storage used.