Excel - Create a demographics chart

Excel 2007/2010 Graphique de type Pyramide d'âge complété

You must have seen a demographics chart like the one above and wondered how to make your own. This page will show you how to do it step by step.

Data pour le graphique de pyramide d'âge

Enter the text and numbers in the appropriate cells.

In this case, there is one column of data for male and another for females. All the values in one of the data ranges must be positive and the other negative. It does not matter witch is witch. However, the negative values will appear to the left of the center (zero value) and the positive values to the right of the zero value

From the Insert tab, select Bar and Clustered bar options.

Premièere version du graphique Pyramide d'âge

As you can see, the chart is not yet completed. There are still a few more steps to go through before the final result.

Select any of the series of data within the chart.
From the Chart Tools' Layout or Format tabs, select Format selection.
From the Series options category, select the Secondary axis option.
Press the Close button.

The last commands were necessary to align both series of data. At this point, the male data is on the right of the chart and the female data is on the left. Each is using different axis labels. The next step is to regroup all these values on to a single axis.

Troisièeme step de création du graphique de Pyramide d'âge

Select the second axis above the chart.
Press the Delete button.

All the data will realign according the axis below the chart. Except that, the vertical axis is in the middle of the chart. The next steps consist on moving it to the left of the chart.

Select the vertical axis (0-15, 16-30 …) that is on the right side of the chart.
From the Chart Tools' Layout or Format tabs, select Format selection.
Select the Axis Options category.

For the Axis labels option, select Low.
Press the Close button.

Quatrième step de création d'un graphique de type Pyramide d'âge

The chart is almost complete. The next step consists of removing the space between the data bars.

Select any of the series of data within the chart.
From the Chart Tools' Layout or Format tabs, select Format selection.
Select the Series Options category.
Change the Gap width to 0%.
Press the Close button.
Repeat these last steps to all of the series of data.

Cinquième step de création de graphique de type Pyramide d'âge

There is one last step to complete the chart.

Every data point needs a border to better differentiate it from the others.

Select any of the series of data within the chart.
From the Chart Tools's Format tab, select Shape Outline.
Select the Automatic option.

Repeat these last steps to all of the series of data.

Excel 2007/2010 Graphique de type Pyramide d'âge complété

The demographics chart is now complete. You can now create your own demographics chart.

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