Bar / Line / Scatter / Pie Charts (When to Use Each)

Summary

The four foundational chart types — bar for categorical comparison, line for trends over time, scatter for relationships between two numeric variables, pie for simple part-to-whole (used sparingly).

• 1Build all 4 chart types from the same dataset and note which communicates best.
• 2Learn the specific weaknesses of pie charts that make bar charts usually better.
• 3Practice justifying your chart choice out loud, not just picking by habit.