Compare multiple variables with radar charts

Use radar charts to compare multiple variables on the same scale, highlighting patterns, commonalities, and differences in data. Best for analysing performance, rankings, or evaluations.

How radar charts work

Each axis represents a different category or metric.
The further a point is from the center, the higher the value in that category.
Multiple datasets can be plotted to compare different entities.

Add radar charts

This is the first step in adding radar 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 Radar chart.

Set up your chart data

Data Requirements:

One column for category names.
At least three columns with numeric values.

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).
1. Choose between Insert row before or Insert row after.
2. To remove a row, choose Delete row.
To add a new column, choose a column, then click
(More).
1. Choose between Insert column before or Insert column after.
2. 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:
1. Select Sheets to connect to data from Canva Sheets.
2. Select a data source from the available options: Google Sheets, Salesforce, Google Analytics, HubSpot, World Bank.
3. 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 radar charts

After adding your data, make sure each axis of your radar chart is defined and labeled clearly to represent the categories being compared. You can customise your chart afterwards.

In the side panel, under the Data table, go to Chart setup.
Under Labels – What to show click the dropdown menu, and select the column to display as labels.
Under Segments – What values to show click the dropdown menu, and select the column(s) you’d like to display on the chart. Note: Only numerical values can be selected.

Customise radar charts

After choosing which data to display, customise key elements like legends, axis labels, and gridlines to improve clarity.

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.

Tip: Radar charts may have overlapping lines and shapes. Use contrasting colours to see comparison between variables.

Add legend, axis labels, and grid lines

Select the chart to open the toolbar, then select Edit.
On the Chart panel, select the Customise tab.
Select the
Text dropdown. Toggle on or off the Legend and Axis labels switch.
Select the Settings dropdown, then toggle on or off the Gridlines switch.

Add chart title and subtitle

Select the chart to open the toolbar, then select
Edit.
On the Chart panel, select the Customise tab.
To add a title and subtitle, enter your Title and Subtitle in their respective text fields.

Tooltips for charts

Select the chart to open the toolbar, then select
Edit.
On the Chart panel, select the Customize tab and select Settings.
Turn Tooltips on to show details when you hover over the chart, or off to hide them.

I have large datasets with different categories, can I use radar charts to visualise my data?

While radar charts are great for comparing a few datasets across multiple categories, they become cluttered and difficult to read when dealing with large datasets or many different categories.

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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