How to Make a Bar Graph in Word: 8 Easy Steps

Knowing how to make a bar graph in Word is useful for school projects, business reports, surveys, and presentations — without needing separate spreadsheet software. Word’s built-in Chart tool lets you insert a graph, enter your data, customise colours, add labels, and update everything later.

In this guide, you’ll create a bar graph from scratch, customise its appearance, and learn how to edit it after it’s been created.

Contents hide

1 Why Use a Bar Graph in Word?

2 How to Make a Bar Graph in Word: Step-by-Step

3 Method 1: How to Make a Bar Graph in Word by Inserting a Chart

4 Method 2: How to Make a Bar Graph in Word by Entering Your Data

5 Method 3: How to Make a Bar Graph in Word Look Professional

6 Which Chart Type Should You Use?

7 How to Edit a Bar Graph in Word Later

8 Common Problems When Making a Bar Graph

Why Use a Bar Graph in Word?

Bar graphs present information clearly and visually. They’re commonly used for:

School assignments
Business reports
Survey results
Sales comparisons and performance tracking
Data presentations

Word also offers two main chart orientations: Column charts (vertical bars), ideal for comparing categories over time, and Bar charts (horizontal bars), useful when category names are long or you’re comparing many items. 3D, stacked, and clustered variants are also available, with a live preview before you choose.

Watch the Video Tutorial

If you prefer to see this in action, the full video walkthrough is below, showing each method step by step.

How to Make a Bar Graph in Word: Step-by-Step

Follow these eight steps to insert, populate, and customise your chart.

Method 1: How to Make a Bar Graph in Word by Inserting a Chart

Open your Word document and click where you want the graph to appear.
Select the Insert tab and click Chart.
Choose Bar for horizontal bars or Column for vertical bars.
Select your preferred chart style and click OK.

Microsoft Word Insert Chart window used to make a bar graph in Word by selecting a bar or column chart style.

Word inserts a chart and automatically opens a small spreadsheet window — this controls your chart’s data.

Method 2: How to Make a Bar Graph in Word by Entering Your Data

Word provides default sample data — four categories, three data series, and placeholder values. Replace this with your own information. For example, a sports participation survey:

Sport	Number of Students
Football	12
Basketball	8
Swimming	6
Tennis	4

Replace the sample categories with your own labels — the chart updates automatically as you type.

Removing Unwanted Data Series

Most simple bar graphs only need one data series. Click a data series column inside the spreadsheet, right-click it, and select Delete. Repeat for any additional unwanted series — the graph becomes cleaner and easier to read.

Microsoft Word chart data spreadsheet showing a data series being deleted to make a bar graph in Word cleaner.

Renaming the Data Series

Replace generic labels like “Series 1” with something meaningful, such as “Number of Students” — this updates the chart legend automatically.

Method 3: How to Make a Bar Graph in Word Look Professional

Once your data is correct, customise the title, labels, colours, and position.

Change the Chart Title

Double-click the chart title, highlight the existing text, and type a new one — for example, “Sports Survey”. A clear title helps readers understand the chart immediately.

Add Data Labels

Select the chart, open the Chart Design tab, click Add Chart Element, choose Data Labels, and select a position. The chart now shows exact values above or beside each bar — improving readability and making presentations more professional.

Microsoft Word Chart Design tab showing options used to make a bar graph in Word with data labels and custom colours.

Change Bar Graph Colours

Select the chart, click Chart Design, choose Change Colors, and pick a monochromatic, multi-colour, or Office colour scheme. The chart updates instantly.

Resize and Move the Chart

Drag any corner handle to resize the chart, or click and drag it to reposition. If it won’t move freely, select the chart, click Layout Options, and choose Square under text wrapping — this works the same way as repositioning images, covered in our guide on how to move an image freely in Word.

Which Chart Type Should You Use?

Chart Type	Orientation	Best For
Column Chart	Vertical bars	Comparing categories over time
Bar Chart	Horizontal bars	Long category names or many items
3D / Stacked / Clustered	Varies	Multi-series comparisons

How to Edit a Bar Graph in Word Later

Click the chart, open the Chart Design tab, and select Select Data. Word reopens the data spreadsheet, where you can add categories, change values, insert series, or update labels — the graph updates automatically.

Common Problems When Making a Bar Graph

Spreadsheet Closes Accidentally

Your chart remains intact — reopen the data view via Chart Design → Select Data.

Bars Don’t Match the Data

Check the spreadsheet for incorrect or duplicated values.

Chart Is Too Small

Drag the corner handles to resize it to a readable size.

Can’t Move the Chart

Change the text wrapping option to Square under Layout Options.

Pro Tips

Use clear category names and descriptive titles — avoid generic labels like “Series 1”.
Keep charts uncluttered — too many data series makes graphs harder to read than simple ones.
If you’re presenting raw figures alongside the chart, a proper data table looks more professional than pasted spreadsheet cells — see our guide on three ways to insert a table in Word.
For larger datasets, it’s often easier to manage the source numbers separately — see how to insert an Excel sheet in Word before building your chart.

FAQs

How do I make a bar graph in Word?

Go to Insert → Chart, select Bar or Column, and enter your data into the spreadsheet that appears.

What’s the difference between a bar graph and a column chart?

Bar graphs use horizontal bars; column charts use vertical bars.

Can I edit a bar graph after creating it?

Yes — select the graph and choose Chart Design → Select Data to reopen the data spreadsheet.

How do I add values above the bars?

Use Chart Design → Add Chart Element → Data Labels.

Can I change the colours of a bar graph?

Yes — select the chart and use Chart Design → Change Colors.

Does Word use Excel for charts?

Word uses an embedded spreadsheet interface that functions similarly to Excel for managing chart data.

Can I add multiple charts to one document?

Yes — repeat the steps above for each chart. If your report has multiple sections, organising them with chapter breaks can help; see our guide on how to create automatic chapters in Word.