Pandas for data visualization

⏱ Quick start

pandas plotting features are a wrapper around the matplotlib library, which is the most popular python library for data visualization.

The plot function is the most basic function to create a chart with pandas. It is a wrapper around the matplotlib.pyplot.plot function.

The most basic (line) chart one can make with pandas

# library
import pandas as pd
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

# Create data
values=[12, 11, 9, 13, 14, 16, 14, 15, 18, 17, 19, 20]
df=pd.DataFrame({'x': range(1,13), 'y': values })

# plot
df.plot('x', 'y') // This is the plot function of pandas
plt.show()

Three distinct syntaxes

There are 3 ways to build a chart with pandas: the plot method, the function name methods (like line, bar or hist) and the plot + function name method.

➡️ plot method

In this case, we have to specify the kind of chart we want to create. The plot method is a wrapper around the matplotlib.pyplot.plot function. The kind argument is used to specify the type of chart we want to create.

df.plot('x', 'y', kind='line')
plt.show()

➡️ function name method

The function name method is a bit more straightforward. We just have to call the right function name to create the chart we want. Matplotlib has various functions to create different types of charts. For example, the line function is used to create line charts.

df.line('x', 'y')
plt.show()

➡️ plot + function name method

This method is a combination of the previous two. We use the plot method and need the function name right after it.

df.plot.line('x', 'y')
plt.show()

The function name method is the most straightforward and the one we recommend. Most posts on the gallery use this method.

Chart examples with Pandas

Pandas offers a wide range of nice charts. Here is a selection of examples that you can find on the gallery. Click on the images to see the code!

Simple histogram built with pandas

Multi group histogram

Small multiples histogram

Scatter plot with pandas

Scatter plot grouped by color

Customized scatter plot

Barplot with pandas

Customized barplot

Barplot grouped by color

Introduction to line chart with pandas

Customize your line charts with pandas

Line charts with multiple variables or groups with pandas