Create A Column Chart That Shows Percentage Change In Excel - Part 1

Learn how to create a column chart that displays the percentage change between each column. This is an Excel chart that uses error bars and some formulas to show the variance between each time period (month, quarter, year, etc.)

Download the Excel file:

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~I've also published another video with a 2nd iteration that includes color bars & data labels (conditional formatting), slicers, and is more dynamic. Here is a link to that video:

One request we almost always get with our column or bar charts is to see the variance or percentage change between each column. This is especially true when the chart displays a trend over months, quarters, years, etc.

The solution uses a regular clustered column chart in Excel. The second series is made invisible with No Fill on the column, and then uses error bars to display the variance between amount columns.

**Excel 2010 & Earlier**
If you are using Excel 2010 or earlier you will not have the Value from Cells option for the data labels. However, you can use the free XY Labeler add-in from AppsPro to create the labels. This will save you a lot of time. Here is the link to download the add-in.

Related articles & videos:

00:00 Introduction
01:08 Source Data
02:05 Error Bars
04:38 Subscribe
04:50 Add Data Labels
06:44 Formatting Tips
09:31 Outro

[snavejohnz]

Hi Jon, you're just the best! Through you short tutorials, i have come to appreciate the power of Excel.

[mobeenfarhan]

Sir really grateful, I'm learning a lot from your lectures in a very simple way.. Stay Bless Sir.!

[malikastar]

Thank you Jon, really helpful tutorials, clearly and simply explained !

[sarawu]

Thanks so much, I watch your Excel everyday during lunch time to learn new things and also refresh my memory for previous learning from your website, thanks again

[ruthlammers]

That was awesome! I never knew about Error Bars. THANK YOU!

[robynblack]

Thank you for this really helpful video - I would never have figured out how to do this myself!

[bgundegb]

Really good tutorials....Going to try them all :) Thanks, Jon

[jorgeferreira]

Very good example. Thank you for explaining so well.

[ginespagan]

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge! Great video.

[KrishnaKumar-znkg]

Very nice. Liked it a lot. Simple and crisp explanations.

[bryanlee]

Excel chart magic at work. Thx for the help!!

[andromeda]

Amazing video .. wonderful explanation. Great work .. Thank Jon

[mirrrvelll]

Amazing Jon! That trick w =rept function...damn :D

[rajalakshmipunampalam]

You just solved my problem. Thank you so much.

[ThanhLe.]

Great chart! I really like it. Thanks for sharing

[kaycana]

nice tutorial. Itried to do that with stacked lines but not able to. Would be nice if you can share a video in which we have quarter totals as part of the stacked bar and having the same "anual" variation %. thanks Jon

[dvpe]

cool... just had a great idea to use this, thanks bro

[blue-oceandreamer]

Thanks so much, Jon. I am going to learn this invisible tricks and apply in my annual report. :)

[dunthphu]

Thank you so I can't express my grattitude honestly

[Seftehandle]

Perfect -> value from cell is all i needed