Show data distribution with histogram chart
Use a histogram chart to show how your data is spread across different value ranges or “bins.” It’s great for spotting patterns, identifying the most common groups, or analyzing the range of transaction amounts.
How Histogram charts work
- The x-axis represents data intervals (bins), grouping values into specific ranges.
- The y-axis represents the frequency or count of occurrences within each range.
- Bars are placed next to each other with no gaps because histograms show continuous data
Add histogram charts
Add a histogram chart to your design
This is the first step in adding histogram charts. Afterwards, you can add chart data manually or import it from an external source.
- Create or open an existing design.
- From the editor side panel, select Charts. If it's not there, select the Apps tab first, then Charts.
- Under Other charts, select Histogram chart.
Set up chart data
Data Requirements: One numerical column for the variable being measured (e.g., test scores, sales amounts). Note: Canva will automatically group values into bins or ranges.
You can either add your data manually, import it from a spreadsheet, or connect your data source apps.
Add chart data manually
Enter your data into the chart table, then review each part of the chart to make sure it accurately reflects the data in your table
Add data
- Select your chart, then click Edit on the toolbar.
- In the side panel, enter your chart values in the Data table. You can also select Expand data table for a full-screen view of your data.
Add rows and columns
- To add a new row, choose a row, then click (More).
- Choose between Insert row before or Insert row after.
- To remove a row, choose Delete row.
- To add a new column, choose a column, then click (More).
- Choose between Insert column before or Insert column after.
- To remove a column, choose Delete column.
Note: When editing data on Canva, use the Shift key on your keyboard to select multiple cells, rows, and columns. You can also click and drag to select multiple cells.
Sort data
- To sort your chart data, select a column, then click on (More).
- Click Sort table A-Z to sort in ascending order, or click Sort table Z-A to sort in descending order.
Import chart data
Connect to data from Canva Sheets or connect to a data source app. You can also use a CSV, TSV, or XLSX file to import your data. For now, you can only import up to 1000 rows and 100 columns of data.
- Select or add a chart, then select Edit.
- From the side panel, click Import data.
- From here, you can choose to:
- Select Sheets to connect to data from Canva Sheets.
- Select a data source from the available options: Google Sheets, Salesforce, Google Analytics, HubSpot, World Bank.
- Upload a CSV, XLSX, or TSV file by selecting Upload data.
Tip: After your data loads, you can use Data Actions to clean and organise it before importing. See Clean imported data with Data Actions below.
4. If you chose a third-party app, sign in to the app (if required) and grant Canva permission to access your data.
5. Choose the specific dataset you want to use from the imported data.
6. Click Done to sync the data with your chart.
Learn more about adding and managing your chart data. You can also format the values for clarity.
Choose data to display in histogram charts
Choose which data to display in your histogram chart
After adding your data, select what data you’d like to show and how you’d like it to be displayed in your histogram chart. You can customise your chart afterwards.
- Click on the chart to open the toolbar, then select Edit.
- In the Chart panel, under the Data table, go to Chart Setup.
- Under Bars – What values to show click the drop-down menu, and select the column with numerical values.
- Canva will auto-generate bin sizes, or you can adjust them under the Customise tab:
- On the Chart panel, select the Customise tab.
- Click the Y Axis dropdown.
- Enter the range in the Minimum and Maximum fields.
- Under Increments, adjust the measurement interval (Y axis) by clicking on the + or - button. Otherwise, it’s set to Auto.
Interpreting your Histogram chart
To understand how your data is distributed, look at the shape of the histogram:
- Symmetrical with a single peak – Most data clusters around the center. This is a normal distribution (bell curve).
- Right-skewed (positive skew) – Most data is on the left, with a tail extending to the right.
- Left-skewed (negative skew) – Most data is on the right, with a tail extending to the left.
- Bimodal – Two distinct peaks show two dominant values or groups in the dataset.
Customise histogram charts
After choosing which data to display, enhance your histogram chart’s readability and clarity.
Enhance your histogram chart’s readability and clarity
- Click on the chart to open the toolbar, then select Edit.
- On the Chart panel, select the Customise tab.
- Click on the X Axis or Y Axis dropdown.
- To show or hide an axis, toggle Labels on or off.
- To add a title, enter it in the Title field. The title limit is 128 characters.
- Under the Settings dropdown, toggle the Grid lines switch on or off.
- Under Settings, you can turn tooltips on to show details when you hover over the chart, or off to hide them.
Change chart colours
- Click on the chart to open the toolbar.
- On the editor toolbar, select the colour tile you'd like to edit. The Colour panel will open on the side.
- To use a colour on your chart, click on a colour tile from the options. Hover over a colour to see its display name.
- If the colour you're looking for isn't available, click Add a new colour (the rainbow colour tile).
- To pick a colour from your design, click the Pick a colour (eyedropper) button and select any colour on the canvas.
- To replace a colour across the current page or the entire pages, select Current page or All pages.
- If your Team admin or Brand designer has already added the chart style to your team’s Brand Kit, choose from your brand colours. For detailed steps, check out Create on-brand charts.
Note: Histogram charts use one color by design since all bars represent the same data distribution.
Looking for advanced charts? You can use the Flourish App. Check out Add advanced charts via Flourish to learn more.
Not sure where to start? Check out Get started with Canva Charts.
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