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How to create bullet chart/build up chart in Excel?

Author Sun Last modified

Have you ever heard of Excel bullet chart or Excel build up chart? Excel bullet chart is a chart usually used for comparing the plan and actual accomplishment. Now this tutorial will show how to create a bullet chart step by step in Excel.

Create bullet chart in Excel

Create bullet chart in Excel

Bullet chart is also named as build up chart in Excel, please follow the below steps to create it.

1. Select the data range excluding Accomplishment column, then click Insert > Column > Stacked Column. See screenshot:

a screenshot of creating a Stacked Column

2. In the inserted column, right click at the Actual series and select Format Data Series from the context menu. See screenshot:

a screenshot of opening the Format Data Series dialog

3. In the Format Data Series dialog, check Secondary Axis option. See screenshot:

a screenshot of selecting the Secondary Axis option

In Excel 2013, check Secondary Axis under SERIES OPTIONS section in the Format Data Series pane. See screenshot:

a screenshot of selecting the Secondary Axis option in Excel 2013

4. Close the dialog. Then select the secondary axis in the chart, and press Delete key on the keyboard to delete it. See screenshot:

a screenshot of deleting the secondary axis in the chart

5. Select the Actual series again, and right click to select Format Data Series.

6. In the Format Data Series dialog, do as follow:

(1) Click Series Options tab, and adjust the gap width until the Actual series width is wider than Plan series. See screenshot:

a screenshot of adjusting the Gap Width in the chart

(2) Click Fill tab, and check No fill option. See screenshot:

a screenshot of changing the Fill to No fill

(3) Click Border Color tab, check Solid line option. See screenshot:

a screenshot of changing border color to solid line

In Excel 2013, you need to adjust gap width under Series Options tab, check No fill option and Solid line option in Fill section and Border section under Fill & Line tab.

7. Close the dialog, you can see the bullet chart has been completed in the main.

a screenshot of the completed chart

Now you can add the Accomplish percentage at the top of the series.

8. Right click at one series, and select Add Data Labels. See screenshot:

a screenshot of adding data labels

9. Then type the percentage value into the data label text box and drag them to the top of the series one by one. Now you can see the final chart:

a screenshot showing the final chart

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