Multiple bar diagram
Topic: Graphical Representation of Data and Thematic Maps · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 3 "Graphical Representation of Data"
Meaning
A multiple bar diagram places two or more bars side by side for each item, one bar for each variable. Each variable has its own shade, and the legend explains which is which. This lets you compare several related variables within one item, and also compare across items or years. Use it when the variables are separate measures rather than parts of one total.
Example
NCERT shows India's literacy rates for each census year as three adjoining bars: total, male and female. In 1951 they were 18.33%, 27.16% and 8.86%. By 2011 they had risen to 73.0%, 80.9% and 64.6% (Census 2011). The gap between male and female literacy is easy to see.
Don't confuse with
- Compound bar diagram: in a compound bar diagram, the parts are stacked inside one bar and add up to a total. In a multiple bar diagram, each variable stands as its own bar.