How to use the Histogram add-in in Excel

This step-by-step article describes how to create a histogram with a chart from a sample set of data. The Analysis ToolPak that is included with Microsoft Excel includes a Histogram tool.

Verify Installation of the Analysis ToolPak

Before you use the Histogram tool, you need to make sure the Analysis ToolPak Add-in is installed. To verify whether the Analysis ToolPak is installed, follow these steps:

1. In Microsoft Office Excel 2003 and in earlier versions of Excel, click Add-Ins on the Tools menu.
   
   In Microsoft Office Excel 2007, follow these steps:
   1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Excel Options.
   2. Click the Add-Ins category.
   3. In the Manage list, select Excel Add-ins, and then click Go.
2. In the Add-Ins dialog box, make sure that the Analysis ToolPak check box under Add-Ins available is selected. Click OK.

NOTE: In order for the Analysis ToolPak to be shown in the Add-Ins dialog box, it must be installed on your computer. If you do not see Analysis ToolPak in the Add-Ins dialog box, run Microsoft Excel Setup and add this component to the list of installed items.

Create a Histogram

1. Type the following in a new worksheet:

       A1:  87      B1: 20
       A2:  27      B2: 40
       A3:  45      B3: 60
       A4:  62      B4: 80
       A5:   3      B5:
       A6:  52      B6:
       A7:  20      B7:
       A8:  43      B8:
       A9:  74      B9:
      A10:  61     B10:
   					

2. In Excel 2003 and in earlier versions of Excel, click Data Analysis on the Tools menu.
   
   In Excel 2007, click Data Analysis in the Analysis group on the the Data tab.
3. In the Data Analysis dialog box, click Histogram, and then click OK.
4. In the Input Range box, type A1:A10.
5. In the Bin Range box, type B1:B4.
6. Under Output Options, click New Workbook, select the Chart Output check box, and then click OK.

A new workbook with a Histogram table and an embedded chart is generated.

Based on the sample data from step 1, the Histogram table will look like the following table:
And, your chart will be a column chart that reflects the data in this Histogram table.

Excel counts the number of data points in each data bin. A data point is included in a particular data bin if the number is greater than the lowest bound and equal to or less than the greater bound for the data bin. In the example here, the bin that corresponds to data values from 0 to 20 contains two data points, 3 and 20.

If you omit the bin range, Excel creates a set of evenly distributed bins between the data's minimum and maximum values.

NOTE: You will not be able to create the Histogram chart if you specify the options (Output range or New worksheet ply) that create the Histogram table in the same workbook as your data.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: