In statistics, a barplot is a generic graph that uses bars (rectangles) to show the distribution of data representing a population characteristic or a set of population characteristics. There are many types of bar diagrams, but a main distinction between them is the level of measurement of the population characterstic being displayed. For example, histograms are a type of barplot.

In the example above, the data are categorical: mainly, the number of human rights violations per type of ill-treatment. For displaying categorical data such as these, the bars can be vertical or horizontal, and are usually non-adjacent.

The most widely used bar plots are: one bar for each of the categories of some population characteristic (simple chart, like the one above); the representation of several categories within the same bar (stacked or composed, as given in the first graphic below); and several bars presented together (clustered) to represent groups of population characteristics to be compared (as in the second graphic below).

Stacked barplots can also be given in percentages. In those cases, all bars have the same length, allowing easier comparison of the proportions of different characteristics amoung bars. An example is given below.

All kinds of barplots suitable for categorical data may be used to represent quantitative data, but histograms cannot be used to represent categorical data.