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How to add total labels to stacked column chart in Excel?

Author: Xiaoyang Last Modified: 2024-10-08

For stacked bar charts, you can add data labels to the individual components of the stacked bar chart easily. But sometimes you need to have a floating total values displayed at the top of a stacked bar graph so that make the chart more understandable and readable. The basic chart function does not allow you to add a total data label for the sum of the individual components. However, you can work out this problem with following processes.


Add total labels to stacked column chart in Excel

Supposing you have the following table data.
sample data

1. Firstly, you can create a stacked column chart by selecting the data that you want to create a chart, and clicking Insert > Column, under 2-D Column to choose the stacked column. See screenshots:
select the data and insert a stacked column chart
And now a stacked column chart has been built.

2. Then right click the Total series and select Change Series Chart Type from the right-clicking menu.
right click the Total series and select Change Series Chart Type

3. In the Change Chart Type dialog box, click the Chart Type drop-down list of the Total data series, select Line from the drop-down list, and then click the OK button.
click the Chart Type drop-down list of the Total data series and select Line
Now the Total data series has been changed to the line chart type. See screenshots:

4. Select and right click the new line chart and choose Add Data Labels > Add Data Labels from the right-clicking menu. See screenshot:
right click the new line chart and choose Add Data Labels > Add Data Labels
And now each label has been added to corresponding data point of the Total data series. And the data labels stay at upper-right corners of each column.

5. Go ahead to select the data labels, right click, and choose Format Data Labels from the context menu, see screenshot:
right click the data labels and choose Format Data Labels

6. In the Format Data Labels pane, under the Label Options tab , and check the Above option in the Label Position section. See screenshot:
check the Above option in the Label Position section

7. And then you need to make the line chart invisible, right click the line, and select Format Data Series. See screenshot:
right click the line, and select Format Data Series

8. In the Format Data Series pane, under the Fill & Line tab, check the No line option. See screenshot:
check the No line option in the Fill & Line tab

Now the total labels are added and displayed above the staked columns. However, the Total data series label still shows at the bottom of the chart area.

9. You can delete the Total data series label with right clicking and selecting Delete from the context menu. Alternatively, you can select the Total data series label and press the Delete key to remove it.
delete the Total data series label

So far, you have created a stacked column chart and added the total labels for every stacked column.
a stacked column chart with the total labels for every stacked column


Add total labels to stacked column chart with an amazing tool

If you have Kutools for Excel installed, you can quickly add all total labels to a stacked column chart with only one click easily in Excel.

Kutools for Excel offers over 300 advanced features to streamline complex tasks, boosting creativity and efficiency. Itegarate with AI capabilities, Kutools automates tasks with precision, making data management effortless. Detailed information of Kutools for Excel...         Free trial...

1. Create the stacked column chart. Select the source data, and click Insert > Insert Column or Bar Chart > Stacked Column.
select the data and insert a Stacked Column chart

2. Select the stacked column chart, and click Kutools > Charts > Chart Tools > Add Sum Labels to Chart.
click Add Sum Labels to Chart feature of kutools

Then all total labels are added to every data point in the stacked column chart immediately.
all total labels are added to every data point in the stacked column chart


Create a stacked column chart with total labels in Excel

If you have Kutools for Excel installed, you can quickly create a stacked column with total labels and percentage data labels at the same time with several clicks only.

Kutools for Excel offers over 300 advanced features to streamline complex tasks, boosting creativity and efficiency. Itegarate with AI capabilities, Kutools automates tasks with precision, making data management effortless. Detailed information of Kutools for Excel...         Free trial...

1. Supposing you have prepared your source data as below screenshot shown.
sample data

2. Select the data source, and click Kutools > Charts > Stacked Chart with Percentage to enable the feature.

3. In the Stacked column chart with percentage dialog, please specify the data range, axis labels, and legend entries as you need, and click the OK button.
specify the data range, axis labels, and legend entries in the dialog box
Tips: The Stacked Chart with Percentage feature can automatically select the data range, axis labels, and legend entries based on the selected data source. You just need to check if the auto-selected ranges are proper or not.

Now the stacked column chart with total data labels and data point labels (showing as percentages) is created.
the stacked column chart with total data labels and data point labels is created

Notes:
If you do not need the percentage labels of data points, you can right click the percentage labels and select Delete from the context menu. (This operation can remove the percentage labels of one set of data series at a time)
delete the percentage labels by prssing Delete key


Demo: Add total labels to stacked column chart in Excel

 

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