Which is the best graph to show a trend?

The best graph to show a trend is a line graph. This type of graph effectively displays data points over time, allowing the viewer to easily observe patterns, increases, decreases, and overall trajectories within the data set. Line graphs connect individual data points with a continuous line, making it intuitive to track changes and trends across different time intervals or variables.

For example, if you were analyzing sales data over several months, a line graph would clearly illustrate any trends in sales performance, such as upward or downward spikes, making it easier for decision-makers to identify patterns and make informed predictions about future performance.

While area, column, and pie charts serve useful purposes for visualizing data in other contexts, they are generally not as effective for portraying trends over time. Area graphs can obscure the trend if not designed carefully, column graphs can show discrete values but not continuous changes, and pie charts are primarily used to represent parts of a whole at a specific point in time, lacking the ability to depict changes over time. Therefore, line graphs are the optimal choice for highlighting trends.