Creating a stacked column chart in Power BI is a great way to visualize data where you want to compare the total and the contribution of each part to that total. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you create one:

Step-by-Step Guide

Open Power BI Desktop:

Launch Power BI Desktop on your computer.

Load Your Data:

Click on Home > Get Data.

Choose your data source (e.g., Excel, SQL Server, etc.) and load your data into Power BI.

Select the Data for the Chart:

In the Fields pane, select the data fields you want to use. Typically, you will need a categorical field (e.g., Category) and multiple numerical fields (e.g., Sales, Profit).

Insert a Stacked Column Chart:

Go to the "Build" pane.

Click on the "Stacked Column" Chart icon.

Configure the Chart:

Drag your categorical field to the Axis area.

Drag your numerical fields to the Values area. Each numerical field will be stacked on top of each other in the columns.

Customize the Chart:

You can customize the appearance of your chart by clicking on the Format pane (paint roller icon).

Adjust colors, labels, titles, and other visual elements to suit your preferences.

Add Filters and Slicers (Optional):

You can add filters or slicers to make your chart more interactive. Drag fields to the Filters pane or add slicers from the Visualizations pane.

Example

We have a dataset with Subcategory, Sales and Region. Here's how you might set it up:

Load Data:

Load your dataset containing Month, Product Category, and Sales.

Insert Stacked Column Chart:

Click on the "Stacked Column Chart" icon in the "Build" pane.

Configure Chart:

Drag "Subcategory" to the "X - axis".

Drag "Sales" to the "Y - axis".

Drag "Region" to the "Legend" area to stack the columns.

Customize:

Use the Format pane to adjust colors, add data labels, and customize the chart title.

Tips

Data Labels: Enable data labels to show the values on each segment of the stacked columns.

Tooltips: Customize tooltips to provide more information when hovering over the columns.

Sorting: Ensure your data is sorted appropriately to make the chart more readable.

By following these steps, you should be able to create a clear and informative stacked column chart in Power BI.