Area Chart in Power BI

Power BI Area Chart is the same as a Line Chart, where the Area between the X-axis and lines is filled with a color. Let me show you how to Create an Area Chart with an example. For this Area chart demonstration, we will use the SQL Data Source that we created in our previous article.

Please refer to the Connect to SQL Server article to understand the Data Source in Power BI. Also, refer to the Line Chart and the List of Charts articles.

How to Create Area Chart in Power BI

To create an Area Chart, Drag and Drop the Sales Amount from the Fields section to the Canvas region. It automatically creates a Column Chart, as shown in the screenshot below. Next, let me add English Product Subcategory Name to the Axis section.

Column Graph

Please click on the Area Chart under the Visualization section. It will convert the Column Chart into an Area Chart. From the screenshot below, you can see that it shows the Sales by Product Subcategory.

Area Chart in Power BI 3

Create an Area Chart in Power BI Approach 2

First, click on the Area Chart under the Visualization section, which will create dummy data, as shown in the screenshot below.

In order to add data to the Power BI Area Chart, we have to add the required fields:

  • Axis: Please specify the Column Name that represents the Area.
  • Values: Any Numeric value such as sales amount, Total Sales, etc.

Let me drag the Sales Amount from the Fields section to the Values field. Next, add the State Province Name to the Axis section. You can do this by dragging State Province to the Axis section or checkmark the State Province column.

Area Chart in Power BI 6

Let me sort the data by State Province Name (By default, it is sorted by Sales Amount). To do this, click on the … (3 dots) in the top right corner and select the Sort By StateProvinceName option, as shown below.

Sort By Dimension or Measure Value in Ascending or Descending Order

Now, you can see a more meaningful area chart. Hover over any position that shows the Tool-tip of Sales Amount and State Province Name.

Area Chart in Power BI 9

Adding Product Color to the Legend section will convert the Power BI Area chart into the Stacked.

Stacked Area Chart in Power BI 10

Let me remove the Color field from the Legend section and add one more field, i.e., the Total Product Cost to Values section. It compares the Area of Sales Amount against the Total Product Cost. Hovering over any position shows the tooltip of Sales Amount and Total Product Cost.

Let me do some quick formatting to this Power BI Area Chart.

NOTE: I suggest you refer to the Format article to understand the steps involved in formatting the Area chart title, plot area, line color, etc.

Formatted Area Chart in Power BI 13