Views > Excel charts > How to create a bar chart with labels inside bars in excel

In a previous blog post I showed you how to put the category and data labels above the bars in a bar chart as per the graph below.

Let’s build this chart in Excel.

Here is the dataset for the graphic in the range A5:B16—showing, as per The Guardian, the distribution of the world’s top 100 footballers by country—as per the screenshot below:

1. Highlight the range A5:B16 and then, on the Insert tab, in the Charts group, click Insert Column or Bar Chart > Clustered Bar. The chart should look like this:

2. Next, lets do some cleaning. Delete the vertical gridlines, the horizontal value axis and the vertical category axis.
3. Delete the Chart Title and turn off the border of the Chart Area by setting the Border to No line. The chart should look like this:

HOW TO CREATE A BAR CHART WITH LABELS INSIDE BARS IN EXCEL

4. Next, select the range B6:B16, press Ctrl + C to copy the cells into the clipboard, then select the chart and press Ctrl + V to paste the data into the chart. The chart should look like this:

5. In the chart, right-click the Series “# Footballers” data series and then, on the shortcut menu, click Add Data Labels.
6. Do the same for the dummy series Series 2.
The chart should look like this:

7. In the chart, right-click the Series “# Footballers” Data Labels and then, on the short-cut menu, click Format Data Labels.
8. In the Format Data Labels pane, under Label Options selected, set the Label Position to Inside End.
9. Next, in the chart, select the Series 2 Data Labels and then set the Label Position to Inside Base.
10. Then, under Label Contains, check the Category Name option and uncheck the Value and Show Leader Lines options.
11. Next, while the labels are still selected, click on Text Options, and then click on the Textbox icon.
12. Uncheck the Wrap text in shape option and set all the Margins to zero.
13. Repeat steps 11-12 for the Series “# Footballers” Data Labels and the chart should look like this:

14. In the chart, select the Series 2 data series and then, on the Format tab, in the Shape Styles group, set the Shape Fill to No Fill.
15. While the data series is still selected, in the Format Data Series pane, under the Series Options set the Series Overlap to 100% and its Gap Width to 50%. The chart should look like this: