Line Chart

Line charts are ideally used to demonstrate trends for data and to show how one variable is affected by another variable. Data points are connected by lines. A minimum of three points is required to make a line.

Figure 1 Cost of Housing Over 5 Years

Figure 1 is a line chart illustrating the cost of homes (principal place of residence) and cottages in the past 5 years. This graph was created using Excel. Note that even though the graph is made of discrete sets of data points, a trend is implied.

The following are recommendations for creating a line chart:

1.
Gridlines help the reader estimate the value of the points.
2.
The x- and y-axes are clearly labeled.
3.
A legend is necessary when more than one line is presented.
4.
The legend may be placed outside or inside the chart.
5.
Each line is different as well as the points that make up each line in order to easily distinguish one trend from the other.
6.
Too many lines (particularly if they overlap) would make the chart difficult to read.