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About this lesson
Create a Waterfall Chart to visualize how an initial value is affected by a series of intermediate positive or negative values, leading to a final value.
Exercise files
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4.10 waterfall-charts - Exercise.docx57.9 KB 4.10 waterfall-charts - Exercise solution.docx
5.7 MB Exercise - Waterfall Chart.xlsx
10.8 KB Exercise - Waterfall Chart - Solution.xlsx
15.3 KB Workbook - Waterfall Charts.xlsx
10.8 KB Workbook - Waterfall Charts - Complete.xlsx
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Quick reference
Waterfall Charts
Create a Waterfall Chart to show how a value is affected by change.
When to use
We use a Waterfall chart whenever we want to see how an initial value is affected by a series of intermediary positive and negative values leading to a final value.
Instructions
A waterfall chart in Excel, also known as a bridge chart, is a data visualization tool used to show how an initial value is affected by a series of intermediate positive or negative values, leading to a final value. It is particularly useful for understanding the cumulative effect of sequentially introduced positive or negative values, making it ideal for visualizing financial statements, profit and loss analyses, or any scenario where you need to see the incremental changes between data points.
Create a Waterfall Chart
- Select the data.
- From the Insert tab, click the diagonal arrow in the corner of the Charts group.
- Click on All Charts.
- Select Waterfall from the list.
- Click OK.
The 2023 Total shows the number of employees we started with and the 2024 total shows the number of employees we ended with, taking into account new hires, promotions, demotions, redundancies, and leavers.
Format a Waterfall Chart
Change the Position of the Total
- Click on the 2024 Total bar twice.
- Right-click and choose Set as Total from the menu.
- Click on the 2023 Total bar twice.
- From the Format tab, in the Shape Styles group, click the Shape Fill drop-down.
- Change the color of the bar to match the 2024 Total.
Change Label Position
- Click on the labels and press CTRL+1.
- From the Label Position section, choose Outside End.
- Press CTRL+B to bold the labels.
Remove Gridlines
- Click on the gridlines.
- Press the Delete key.
Add Axis Titles
- Click the plus to the right of the chart.
- Click Axis Titles.
- Name the horizontal axis 'Category' and the vertical axis 'Headcount'.
Add a Chart Title
- Double-click in the chart title text box.
- Type 'Employee Head Count - 2023 to 2024'.
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