Area Chart

WHAT IS IT?

The area chart is very similar to the line chart. They both depict a time series relationship and show continuity in the data.

In this case, an un-stacked area chart is the same thing as a line chart – just with more coloring. The problem arises when you start comparing multiple variables/categories in an unstacked area chart, the upper layers obscure the lower layers. You can play around with transparency, but after three variables, un-stacked area charts are hard to read. This is when you use stacked area charts. This portrays a part-to-whole relationship between data points

​WHERE TO USE?

Line charts connect discrete but continuous data points through straight line segments. This makes them effective for facilitating trend analyses. Area charts technically do the same, except that the area below the plotted lines is filled with color.