Excel includes a built-in Box and Whisker chart in Excel 2016 and newer versions, including Microsoft 365 and Excel for the web. It can show quartiles, mean markers, inner points, and outlier points without building a stacked-column workaround.
Method: Built-in Box and Whisker Chart (Excel 2016+)
Arrange your data
For a single box plot, put all values in one column. For a grouped box plot (comparing multiple categories), put each group in a separate column with a header row:
| Group A | Group B | Group C |
|---|---|---|
| 72 | 65 | 80 |
| 85 | 70 | 88 |
| 78 | 75 | 92 |
| ... | ... | ... |
Each column becomes one box in the chart.
Select your data
Click the first header cell, then Shift+click the last data cell to select all groups and their headers.
Insert the Box and Whisker chart
Go to Insert → Charts → Insert Statistic Chart → Box and Whisker. Excel inserts a box plot with one box per column.
Add axis labels and a title
Click the chart → Chart Design → Add Chart Element:
- Add a chart title: type your chart title directly on the chart
- Add axis titles: Axis Titles → Primary Vertical for the Y axis label (your measurement unit)
Interpret the chart
Each box shows:
- Bottom whisker → the lowest non-outlier value
- Bottom of box → Q1 (25th percentile)
- Line inside box → median (Q2)
- Top of box → Q3 (75th percentile)
- Top whisker → the highest non-outlier value
- X marks → mean
- Individual dots → values outside the whiskers, when outlier points are enabled
Customizing your box plot
- Show outliers — right-click a box → Format Data Series → check Show outlier points. Use Show inner points only when you want to display all non-outlier observations too.
- Exclusive vs inclusive quartile calculation — Excel offers two methods in Format Data Series → "Inclusive median" (includes the median value in each half) vs "Exclusive median." This affects Q1 and Q3 values for odd-count datasets.
- Change box color — right-click a box → Format Data Series → Fill → Solid fill → choose color.
- Mean marker — the X symbol showing the mean is on by default. To remove it, right-click → Format Data Series → uncheck "Show mean markers."
Grouped box plot: comparing multiple distributions
With the multi-column layout from Step 1, Excel shows side-by-side boxes automatically. This is the fastest way to compare distributions across groups — for example, test score distributions across different classes or departments.
To add a legend: Chart Design → Add Chart Element → Legend → Bottom.
Excel box plot limitations
- Cannot easily switch whisker definitions for different statistical conventions
- Limited ability to annotate individual outlier points
- No built-in statistical summary (five-number summary) printed on the chart
When to use an online box plot maker instead
For quick, clean box plots without setting up the chart in Excel, the free online box plot maker lets you paste data for multiple groups and export PNG or PDF quickly.
FAQ
Why is Box and Whisker grayed out in Excel?
The built-in Box and Whisker chart type requires Excel 2016 or later. If you're on Excel 2013, Microsoft documents a manual stacked-column workaround instead of the built-in chart.
Why does my Excel box plot show an X inside the box?
The X marks the mean of the dataset. It's separate from the median line (the horizontal line inside the box). If the X is near the median line, the distribution is roughly symmetric. If the X is far from the median, the data is skewed.
Can I make a horizontal box plot in Excel?
Not directly — Excel's Box and Whisker chart is always vertical. For a horizontal layout, consider using a 2D bar chart with manually calculated min/Q1/median/Q3/max values and error bars, or use the free online box plot maker which supports horizontal orientation.
References
- Microsoft Support: Create a box and whisker chart
- Microsoft Support: Create a box plot in Excel 2013
How this guide is reviewed
This guide is maintained by the ChartsMakers Editorial Team and reviewed for statistical accuracy, product behavior, and clarity. Sources used for factual checks are listed in the References section. See our editorial policy.