Simple Bar Diagram

A simple bar diagram shows a single set of values using one bar per category, the height of each bar equal to the value it represents. A category with a longer bar has more of the measured characteristic than one with a shorter bar — for instance a state whose literacy bar is taller has higher literacy than a state whose bar is shorter.

Such diagrams suit both frequency-type and non-frequency-type data, and both discrete variables (family size, spots on a die, examination grades) and attributes (gender, religion, caste, country). They are especially convenient for non-frequency data such as income–expenditure figures or exports and imports over the years. Bars are commonly used for time-series data — for example, foodgrain produced year by year, or literacy rates over successive census years.