Table of Contents
Last modified on November 9th, 2022
Histogram and bar graph are two ways of graphically displaying a set of data in the form of bars. The most apparent difference between the two visually is that bars in the histogram are arranged continually (without any gaps). In contrast, bar graphs are not adjacent to each other.
Let us learn the key differences between a bar chart and a histogram and when to use them:
| Basis | Histogram | Bar Graph |
|---|---|---|
| 1. When to Use | To show the frequency of numerical data and distribution of variables | To compare different categories of variables |
| 2. Types of Variables (data) Used | Continuous (non-discrete) variablesQualitative data | Discrete variablesCategorical data |
| 3. Spaces with Bars | Absent | Present |
| 4. Width of the Bars (Bin) | It may not be same the always | Always same |
| 5. Reordering of Bars | Not possible | Possible |
| 6. Grouping of Elements | Done, thus considered as ranges | Not done, as they are taken as individual entities |
Let us consider an example to understand the concept better.
In the above diagram, the left panel shows the histogram, and the right panel shows the bar graph. Note that the y-axis shows the number of variables or data in both cases, while the x-axis can be anything. The only difference being the data in the histogram is continuous (non-discrete), while in the bar graph, it is discrete.
Last modified on November 9th, 2022