Excel offers a variety of graphs as a means of projecting data. Each graph has its own specialties, so it makes more sense when data is displayed with the right graph.

Similarly, line graphs are used to demonstrate trends in a line. A line graph can display a single or multiple series of data. There are a bunch of line graph types in Excel, each of which you can further customize.

Types of Line Graphs in Excel

• Line: The basic line graph will plot the data with a simple line. If you have multiple series of data, they will be plotted on the same canvas with an independent line.
• Stacked Line: Displays the first data series as it is, and then sums the other data series with the previous ones then displays them. With this graph, Excel will project the lines on top of each other and the final data series will display the sum of all data series. The stacked line graph only works when you have more than one data series. If you use it to display a single data series, it will be no different from the basic line graph.
• 100% Stacked Line: Works the same as the stacked line graph, except that the sum of the values from all data series will equal 100%. The difference between a line and the one below it will display what proportion of the 100% total belongs to that data series. Like the stacked line graph, you should use the 100% stacked line graph when you have more than one data series, or it will be a single line at 100%.

The stacked line graphs might sound confusing, but you'll get the hang of it once you check out the examples for each further in this article. However, if you're still not sure that the line graph is the right graph for the data you want to display, read our article on types of Excel graphs and when to use them.

How to Make a Line Graph in Excel

Let's start graphing with a simple example. In this sample data sheet, we have the population of Canada from 1990 to 2019. As the categories in this graph are going to be the years, cell A1 should be empty. Otherwise, Excel will identify the years as numbers instead of labels, so the graph will turn out incorrectly.

To create a line graph in Excel:

1. Select cells A1 to B8. (You can do this by selecting A1 and then dragging your mouse cursor over to B8. Or by selecting A1, holding Shift on your keyboard, and then selecting B8).
2. From the ribbon up top, go to the Insert tab.
3. From the Charts section, select the line chart icon. This will bring up a menu of all line chart types. The terms graph and chart are used interchangeably in Excel.
4. In the menu, select Line with Markers.
5. Excel will now make a line with markers graph for your data.

Related: How to Make a Bar Graph in Excel

Stacked Line Graphs in Excel

To better understand the stacked line graphs, it's best to observe the same data series in a simple line graph. As mentioned before, stacked line graphs are used when there are multiple data series.

Hence, in this example, we have the population of three random countries. Similar to the previous example, since the category labels are numbers, A1 is left blank, so Excel doesn't recognize them as numbers.

How to Create a Line Graph with Multiple Data Series in Excel

Let's start by illustrating the data with a line graph. You can then build your way to the stacked line graph, and the 100% stacked line graph. To create a line graph:

1. Select cells A1 to D8 (Or according to where your cell are).
2. Go to the Insert tab.
3. From the Charts section, click Insert Line Chart and then select Line Chart with Markers.
4. Excel will now demonstrate the population of the three countries with a line graph.

As you can see, in a simple line graph, the lines begin at their own base points, and they can intersect each other if they have the same value at a given point.

The values displayed in the graphs are the actual values for the data series, and the lines have no relation to each other. This is not the case with a stacked line graph.

How to Create a Stacked Line Graph in Excel

In a stacked line graph, the lines are stacked on top of each other. Data series are summed with the sum of all the previous data series and put on top, and this way they don't ever intersect each other.

To get the actual value for a point, you'll need to subtract it from the value in the line below. Let's see the stacked line graph in action. We're going to use the same spreadsheet as the previous example.

1. Select cells A1 to D8.
2. Go to the Insert tab.
3. From the Charts section, click the Insert Line Graph icon.
4. From the line graph menu, select Stacked Line.
5. Excel will now make a stacked line graph.

Notice how the lines in the graph are on top of each other. To interpret a stacked line graph you need to compare the lines. For instance, the population of Iraq in 2019, would be the difference between the gray line (population of Iraq) and the orange line (population of Australia, which itself is the sum population of Australia and Canada).

This means that in 2019, the population of Iraq would've been roughly 40 million, according to the data. Despite the gray line going well over 100 million.

How to Create a 100% Stacked Line Graph in Excel

The 100% stacked line graph works similarly to the stacked line graph. The major difference is that in the 100% stacked line graph, the sum of all data series is going to equal 100%, and instead of displaying the population values, the percentage of the sum will be demonstrated.

This time, instead of deleting the graph from the previous example and making a new one, let's change the chart type.

1. Right-click on the stacked line graph from the previous example.
2. Select Change Chart Type. This will bring up the Change Chart Type window.
3. In the opened window, select the 100% Stacked Line icon and then select the first chart type.
4. Press OK.
5. Excel will change the graph type to 100% Stacked Line.

The uppermost line is always going to be 100% since it is the sum of all three lines, and that equals 100%. You can get the percentage for each line by subtracting it from the one below.

When we subtract the percentages of the three populations in 2019, we find that roughly 39% of the population is from Iraq, 25% from Australia, and the rest (roughly 37%) is from Canada.

Related: How to Add Sparklines in Excel

Get Ahead of the Trend With Line Graphs

Line graphs are often used to demonstrate and predict trends. Now that you have learned about all three types of line graphs, there's no way you're going to miss a trend.

Graphs and charts are powerful tools that let you visualize your data. Though your graphs can be even more powerful, with a few Excel tricks.