Composition
Proportional Symbol
Symbols (circles, squares) sized by value, placed on a category axis or map.
GDP by Country, 2022
Circle area ∝ GDP in trillions USD; range 2.0 (Italy) to 25.5 (US)
View data (9 rows)
| GDP | Country |
|---|---|
| 25.50 | United States |
| 17.70 | China |
| 4.20 | Japan |
| 4.10 | Germany |
| 3.40 | India |
| 3.10 | United Kingdom |
| 2.80 | France |
| 2.10 | Brazil |
| 2 | Italy |
Use a proportional symbol when…
- Showing relative magnitudes
- Geographic data
- When position + size both encode info
Avoid when…
- Precise comparison (area is hard to judge)
- Many overlapping symbols
Data it needs
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Min Rows | 3 |
| Min Columns | 2 |
| Column Types | stringnumber |
Visual anatomy
Marks
circle
Channels
areapositioncolor
Axes
varies
Guiding principles
Common mistakes
Sizing by radius instead of area (squares the distortion)
Overlapping symbols obscuring smaller values
History
Used in cartography since the 19th century for population and resource maps.
Accessibility notes
Provide exact values as text labels. Use patterns alongside color for color-blind users.
Related reading
Got data? Let's see what works.
Drop your CSV. You'll get a Proportional Symbol plus four alternatives - ranked by which one actually fits your data best.