Stop using column charts for complex Excel data: Do this instead

Stop using column charts for complex Excel data: Do this instead

By Tony Phillips
Publication Date: 2026-03-27 15:30:00

Excel has so many charts that the best one for the job is often easy to miss. You might instinctively reach for the familiar column chart, but that can cause more problems than it solves by obscuring outliers and giving you false averages. For a more honest look at your numbers, it’s time to switch to the box and whisker chart.

How to read box and whisker charts

They’re less confusing than you think

Before I show you…