A stacked area chart displays multiple data series as areas stacked on top of each other, with each series starting where the previous one ends. This visualization emphasizes both individual contributions and cumulative totals over a continuous axis (typically time). It is ideal for showing how parts contribute to a whole while tracking changes over time, making patterns of composition and overall trends immediately visible.
""" anyplot.ai
area-stacked: Stacked Area Chart
Library: seaborn 0.13.2 | Python 3.13.13
Quality: 82/100 | Updated: 2026-05-07
"""
import matplotlib.dates as mdates
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
import seaborn as sns
# Set seaborn style
sns.set_theme(style="whitegrid")
# Data: Monthly revenue by product category over 2 years
np.random.seed(42)
months = pd.date_range("2023-01", periods=24, freq="ME")
# Create realistic revenue trends with seasonality
base_electronics = 45 + np.sin(np.linspace(0, 4 * np.pi, 24)) * 8
base_clothing = 35 + np.sin(np.linspace(0.5, 4.5 * np.pi, 24)) * 6
base_home = 25 + np.sin(np.linspace(1, 5 * np.pi, 24)) * 5
base_sports = 20 + np.sin(np.linspace(1.5, 5.5 * np.pi, 24)) * 4
# Add slight growth trend and noise
growth = np.linspace(1, 1.15, 24)
electronics = (base_electronics * growth + np.random.randn(24) * 2).clip(20)
clothing = (base_clothing * growth + np.random.randn(24) * 1.5).clip(15)
home = (base_home * growth + np.random.randn(24) * 1.2).clip(10)
sports = (base_sports * growth + np.random.randn(24) * 1).clip(8)
# Create plot
fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(16, 9))
# Define colors - Python Blue as primary, then harmonious palette
colors = ["#306998", "#FFD43B", "#4ECDC4", "#FF6B6B"]
labels = ["Electronics", "Clothing", "Home & Garden", "Sports"]
# Stack the areas (ordered by typical size, largest at bottom)
ax.stackplot(months, electronics, clothing, home, sports, labels=labels, colors=colors, alpha=0.85)
# Style the plot
ax.set_xlabel("Month", fontsize=20)
ax.set_ylabel("Revenue (Million $)", fontsize=20)
ax.set_title("area-stacked · seaborn · pyplots.ai", fontsize=24)
ax.tick_params(axis="both", labelsize=16)
# Format x-axis dates
ax.xaxis.set_major_locator(mdates.MonthLocator(interval=3))
ax.xaxis.set_major_formatter(mdates.DateFormatter("%b %Y"))
plt.setp(ax.xaxis.get_majorticklabels(), rotation=45, ha="right")
# Configure legend
ax.legend(loc="upper left", fontsize=16, framealpha=0.9, title="Product Category", title_fontsize=18)
# Subtle grid
ax.grid(True, alpha=0.3, linestyle="--")
ax.set_axisbelow(True)
# Ensure baseline starts at zero
ax.set_ylim(bottom=0)
plt.tight_layout()
plt.savefig("plot.png", dpi=300, bbox_inches="tight")
Part of Stacked Area Chart on anyplot.ai.