How to Make a Box and Whisker Plot in Excel

To put a box and whisker plot in Excel for Microsoft 365, arrange each group of numeric observations in its own column, select the data including the column headings, then choose Insert > Insert Statistic Chart > Box and Whisker. Excel creates a chart that compares each group’s median, spread, and potential outliers. Before you begin, make sure your data is raw observations rather than a five-number summary; Excel calculates the box and whiskers from the values you provide.

What You’ll Need

Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows. The built-in Box and Whisker chart is also available in Excel 2016 and later desktop versions.
A set of numeric observations for each group you want to compare, such as delivery times for different services or test scores for different classes.
A worksheet with one group per column and a clear text heading at the top of each column. Groups can have different numbers of observations.

You do not need to calculate quartiles or draw the plot yourself. Excel calculates the chart statistics from the values in each group. If you are using Excel for the web and cannot find the chart type or its formatting controls, open the workbook in the desktop app.

Step-by-Step

Set up the data in columns. Put a group name in the first cell of each column, then enter that group’s observations underneath it. For example, enter Class A in A1 and its scores in A2:A21, then Class B in B1 and its scores in B2:B21. Use one observation per cell. The groups do not need to have the same number of observations; leave unused cells blank rather than entering a zero to fill the column.
Check and clean the values. Make sure measurements are stored as numbers, not text that only looks like a number. Remove stray notes, totals, and subtotals from the data range. A total is not another observation, and including it can stretch the scale and distort the box. Keep the headings in the top row so Excel can use them as category labels.
Select the chart data. Drag across the complete rectangular range, including the headings and all observation cells. For the example above, select A1:B21, even if the last few cells in one column are blank. If the columns are far apart, copy them side by side into a temporary area before charting; a compact range is easier to select and check.
Insert the box and whisker chart. On the ribbon, choose Insert > Insert Statistic Chart > Box and Whisker. Excel inserts a chart on the worksheet. If you do not see Insert Statistic Chart, check that you are using a desktop version of Excel 2016 or later and that the Insert tab is active. In some builds, the chart may be shown within the Charts options on the Insert tab.
Check that Excel grouped the data correctly. Each box should represent one column, with the heading below it as the category label. If Excel has made a box for each row instead, select the chart and choose Chart Design > Switch Row/Column. Confirm that the horizontal axis shows your group names and that the number of boxes matches the number of groups.
Add a useful title and labels. Select the chart, then choose Chart Design > Add Chart Element to add a chart title or axis titles. Click the title text in the chart and replace it with a descriptive label, such as Delivery time by carrier. Name the vertical axis with the measurement and unit, for example Minutes. Clear labels make the scale and comparison understandable without a separate explanation.
Choose which points to show. Right-click a box in the chart and choose Format Data Series to open the formatting pane. Under Series Options, use the available checkboxes to show or hide inner points, outlier points, mean markers, and a mean line. Inner points display individual observations; outlier points highlight observations Excel identifies as outliers. Select options that help readers interpret the distribution without making the chart unnecessarily crowded.
Review the quartile calculation. In the Format Data Series pane, find Quartile Calculation and choose Inclusive median or Exclusive median. The choice affects how Excel calculates the quartiles that define the box, particularly in smaller samples. Use the method required by your course, report, or organization. If you are comparing your plot with another source, check that both use the same quartile convention before deciding that the charts disagree.
Finish the presentation. Resize the chart by dragging a corner handle, and adjust the vertical axis if the values are difficult to read. Use Chart Design or the chart formatting controls to apply a readable style. Keep the scale consistent when comparing multiple charts, and avoid decorative effects that obscure the median, box, whiskers, or points. Save the workbook after checking the labels and plotted groups.

A box shows the middle half of the observations: its lower and upper edges are the first and third quartiles, and the line inside is the median. The distance between the box edges is the interquartile range. In Excel’s box-and-whisker chart, whiskers extend to the most extreme values that are not treated as outliers under the chart’s method; observations classified as outliers can appear as individual points when that option is enabled. The mean marker, if displayed, is different from the median line.

Common Mistakes

Entering summary values instead of observations. A box-and-whisker chart expects the underlying individual measurements. If you enter only minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile, and maximum, Excel treats those five numbers as five observations and calculates a different summary. Use raw data for the built-in chart, or create a custom chart separately if you only have summary statistics.
Including totals or unrelated numbers. A sum, average, ID number, or sample count in the selected range becomes part of the data and can change the distribution. Keep summaries outside the observations, or exclude them from the selection.
Putting all observations in one column without group labels. Excel then has only one group to plot, so it cannot compare categories. Put each category in its own column and give each column a descriptive heading.
Assuming a long whisker always means an outlier. The whiskers and outlier points convey different information. Check whether individual points are enabled and remember that the box-and-whisker chart uses its own calculation rules; do not interpret a point solely from how far it looks from the box.
Comparing charts with different settings. Inclusive and exclusive quartile calculations can produce different box edges. Using different calculation settings, measurement units, or vertical scales can make comparisons misleading.

Tips

Use clear, short headings. Names such as Before and After or Store A and Store B are easier to read than long descriptions. Explain abbreviations in a nearby note if readers may not know them.
Keep each column’s values in the same units. Do not mix minutes and hours, or inches and centimetres, within one group. Convert the observations first and identify the unit on the axis.
Show individual points when sample size matters. Inner points can reveal clusters or gaps that the box alone hides. For very large samples, however, points may overlap and make the chart busy; try displaying outliers and mean markers without all inner points.
Use the median to discuss a typical value cautiously. The median is the middle observation after ordering the data, while the mean is an arithmetic average. A large difference between them can indicate a skewed distribution or influential extreme values.
Retain the source data. The chart is linked to its worksheet range. Keeping the observations and group headings nearby makes it easier to audit the result, update it, or explain how it was created.
Check Mac and web differences. Excel for Mac desktop has a box-and-whisker chart in recent versions, although ribbon placement and pane appearance can vary. Excel for the web may have fewer chart creation or formatting controls; use Open in Desktop App if the chart type or quartile options are unavailable.

Troubleshooting

Box and Whisker is missing from the Insert menu: Confirm you are in the desktop app and using Excel 2016 or later. In Excel for the web, open the file in desktop Excel. If you are on Mac, update to a recent desktop version and look under the Insert tab’s statistical chart options.
The chart shows one box instead of several: The selected range may include only one data column, or Excel may have read the rows as series. Select the chart and choose Chart Design > Switch Row/Column. If the grouping is still wrong, verify that each group occupies its own column and that the selection includes all those columns.
Group names are missing or appear as data: Check that the headings are in the first row of the selected range. Recreate the chart with the headings included, or correct the chart’s data range using Chart Design > Select Data. Do not include a separate title row above the headings unless you exclude it from the selection.
A box is unexpectedly large or a point is far away: Look for a mistyped value, an accidental total, or data in the wrong units. Sort or filter the source data to inspect unusual values, then correct the source only if it is genuinely an error. If the extreme value is valid, keep it and decide whether to show outlier points so the chart communicates it clearly.
Some observations appear to be ignored: Check for numbers stored as text, blank cells, and cells containing labels or symbols. Convert valid numeric text to numbers and remove non-observation entries from the selected range. A blank cell is not a zero; if zero is a real measurement, enter it explicitly.
The box does not match another calculator or report: Compare the underlying data, sample size, quartile convention, and outlier rules. In the Format Data Series pane, check the Inclusive median or Exclusive median setting. Different statistical tools can use different definitions, so matching the setting may resolve the difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a box and whisker plot in older Excel?
Excel 2016 and later desktop versions include a built-in Box and Whisker chart. Excel 2013 and earlier do not provide this chart type as a standard chart, so you would need a manual construction or another tool.

Can groups have different sample sizes?
Yes. Put each group in its own column and leave unused cells blank beneath the shorter groups. Do not fill unused cells with zeros, because those zeros would be treated as observations and alter the chart.

What do the dots mean?
Depending on the selected display options, dots can show individual inner observations, outlier observations, or mean markers. Right-click a box, choose Format Data Series, and check the options to see which point types are enabled.

Why does the median line look different from the mean?
The median is the central value when observations are ordered; the mean is their arithmetic average. A skewed distribution or extreme observation can pull the mean away from the median. Excel can show a mean marker or line separately from the median line.

Can I use this chart with only five-number summaries?
Not directly as a true built-in box-and-whisker chart. Excel calculates the box and whiskers from observations, so entering five summary statistics makes Excel treat them as raw values. Keep the summary separate and use a custom visualization if the original observations are unavailable.

How do I update the plot after adding more observations?
If new values are outside the chart’s current source range, select the chart and choose Chart Design > Select Data to adjust the range. For an easier-to-maintain setup, convert the source range to an Excel table with Insert > Table before building the chart, then check the chart source after adding rows to confirm the new data is included.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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