What is a Histogram?
A histogram is an approximate representation of the distribution of numerical data. It groups continuous data points into range intervals (called bins) and plots the count of observations that fall within each bin, visually forming a bar-style graph.
When should you use a Histogram?
Histograms are essential for initial exploratory data analysis. Use a histogram when:
- You want to see the overall shape of a dataset (e.g. normal distribution, skewness, bimodal peaks).
- You are analyzing the spread and concentration of numeric variables.
- You want to detect the **density of specific numeric ranges** (e.g. customer age groups, salary distributions).
Histogram vs. Bar Chart
Although they look similar, histograms and bar charts serve different purposes. Bar charts compare categorical variables (e.g., countries, categories), and have gaps between the bars. Histograms map continuous variables (e.g. height, price) divided into numeric intervals, with bars typically touching to show continuous flow.