A horizontal bar chart displaying categorical data with rectangular bars extending horizontally from the y-axis. The length of each bar is proportional to the value it represents. This orientation is particularly effective when category names are long or numerous, as horizontal labels are easier to read than rotated vertical labels. Horizontal bar charts excel at rankings, comparisons, and survey results visualization.
""" anyplot.ai
bar-horizontal: Horizontal Bar Chart
Library: matplotlib 3.10.9 | Python 3.13.13
Quality: 89/100 | Updated: 2026-05-07
"""
import os
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
# Theme tokens
THEME = os.getenv("ANYPLOT_THEME", "light")
PAGE_BG = "#FAF8F1" if THEME == "light" else "#1A1A17"
ELEVATED_BG = "#FFFDF6" if THEME == "light" else "#242420"
INK = "#1A1A17" if THEME == "light" else "#F0EFE8"
INK_SOFT = "#4A4A44" if THEME == "light" else "#B8B7B0"
BRAND = "#009E73"
# Data: Top 10 programming languages by popularity
np.random.seed(42)
categories = ["Python", "JavaScript", "Java", "C++", "TypeScript", "C#", "Go", "Rust", "PHP", "Swift"]
values = [68.2, 62.5, 45.8, 42.1, 38.7, 33.5, 28.4, 25.1, 22.8, 18.3]
# Sort by value for better visual comparison (largest at top)
sorted_indices = np.argsort(values)
categories = [categories[i] for i in sorted_indices]
values = [values[i] for i in sorted_indices]
# Plot
fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(16, 9), facecolor=PAGE_BG)
ax.set_facecolor(PAGE_BG)
# Horizontal bar chart
y_positions = np.arange(len(categories))
ax.barh(y_positions, values, height=0.65, color=BRAND, edgecolor="none")
# Value labels at the end of bars
for i, value in enumerate(values):
ax.text(value + 1.2, i, f"{value:.1f}%", va="center", ha="left", fontsize=16, color=INK)
# Labels and styling
ax.set_xlabel("Popularity (%)", fontsize=20, color=INK)
ax.set_ylabel("Programming Language", fontsize=20, color=INK)
ax.set_title("bar-horizontal · matplotlib · anyplot.ai", fontsize=24, fontweight="medium", color=INK)
ax.set_yticks(y_positions)
ax.set_yticklabels(categories, color=INK_SOFT)
ax.tick_params(axis="both", labelsize=16, colors=INK_SOFT)
ax.set_xlim(0, max(values) * 1.2)
# Grid on x-axis only
ax.grid(True, axis="x", alpha=0.1, linewidth=0.8, color=INK)
ax.set_axisbelow(True)
# Remove top and right spines
ax.spines["top"].set_visible(False)
ax.spines["right"].set_visible(False)
for s in ("left", "bottom"):
ax.spines[s].set_color(INK_SOFT)
plt.tight_layout()
plt.savefig(f"plot-{THEME}.png", dpi=300, bbox_inches="tight", facecolor=PAGE_BG)
Part of Horizontal Bar Chart on anyplot.ai.