ANATOMY OF A PARETO CHART

Pareto Charts are used to present qualitative, categorical data. This type chart is similar in function to a Building a Pareto Chart:
Bar Chart. However, a Pareto Chart may contain considerably more information than does a Bar Chart.
1) Draw the horizontal & vertical borders.

2) Place category labels (e.g. Kelloggs, etc.) and the

Chart Title. variable name (e.g. Manufacturer) on the horizontal axis.

3) Label the y-axis (Count or Frequency) and insert the

scale being used (e.g. 0 125 ). Note that for a Pareto
Y-axis scale from 0 to Chart the scale must at least equal the sum of all variable
the total number of categories.
units in the variable.
4) Draw the bars in order from the category with the
largest frequency to the smallest frequency, left to right.
Ogive (O-jive): A line Each bar is of equal width and drawn to a height
representing the representing the frequency of the data they represent.
cumulative frequency Remember the bars do not touch.
of the variable.
5) Add the Ogive. To do so, place a dot at the center ,
top of the first bar. Add the count from the first category
to that of the second and place a dot centered above the
Bars representing second bar at a point equaling that value on the y-axis.
variable categories Here 40 + 36 = 76, so a point centered above the second
are placed in bar would be at a level of 76 on the y-axis. Repeat this
decreasing size process, adding the subsequent category values to the
prior sums. Adding in the last category will yield a value
order.
equal to the total number of units (here, cereals). Draw a
line connecting the dots.

6) Add the Percent Scale vertically along the right side

of the chart. It should be set so that it is in proportion to
the frequency scale and 100% is at the level where the
Labels and axes scales. Ogive ends. Cumulative percent data (or cumulative
relative frequency data * 100) from a frequency table
may be helpful in building this scale.

7) Add a title. Additional features that may enhance the

presentation include Horizontal Gridlines, which help
The Percent Scale is set
visually interpret the counts or percentages and Bar
to correspond to the Labeling, which may include either the count or
counts on the frequency percentage represented by the bars.
scale (y-axis).