Comparison
Diverging Bar Chart
Bars extend left and right from a central baseline to show positive and negative values.
Feature NPS Scores
Positive = promoters, negative = detractors
View data (8 rows)
| Feature | NPS |
|---|---|
| Support | 52 |
| Onboarding | 45 |
| Dashboard | 32 |
| API | 28 |
| Docs | 15 |
| Pricing | -12 |
| Reporting | -18 |
| Mobile App | -35 |
Use a diverging bar chart when…
- Sentiment data (positive/negative)
- Profit/loss
- Survey agree/disagree scales
Avoid when…
- All-positive data
- When absolute values matter more than direction
Data it needs
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Min Rows | 2 |
| Min Columns | 2 |
| Column Types | stringnumber |
Visual anatomy
Marks
rectangle
Channels
lengthdirectioncolor-hue
Axes
x-quantitative (centered)y-categorical
Guiding principles
Common mistakes
Inconsistent color mapping for positive/negative
Missing center baseline
History
Standard format for Likert-scale survey reporting and political polling since the mid-20th century.
Accessibility notes
Use both color and direction to encode sign — never color alone. Sort by signed value to make the positive/negative split readable; sort by absolute value if magnitude rank is the question. Provide data table as alternative.
Related reading
Got data? Let's see what works.
Drop your CSV. You'll get a Diverging Bar Chart plus four alternatives - ranked by which one actually fits your data best.