Chart & Indicator Guide

This guide explains which charts work with single indicators versus multiple indicators, helping you choose the best visualization for your economic data analysis.

Overview

Charts in MACROVISONOMICS are categorized by how many indicators they can display:

Category	Description	Use When
Single Indicator	Shows one economic metric at a time	Analyzing trends, distributions, or geographic patterns for a specific metric
Multi-Indicator	Shows 2+ metrics together	Comparing or correlating different metrics

Single Indicator Charts

These charts display one indicator at a time for clarity and focused analysis. If you have multiple indicators selected, only the first will be shown.

Time-Series Charts

Show data over time.

Chart	Description	Best For
Line	Connected points showing trends over time	GDP growth trends, inflation patterns, population changes
Area	Filled area under line showing cumulative values	Visualizing total magnitude over time
Bar	Vertical bars comparing values across time/categories	Comparing GDP between countries, yearly comparisons
Stream	Flowing layers showing composition over time	Visualizing how components change over time
Bump	Tracks ranking changes over time	Seeing how countries’ positions shift year to year

Snapshot Charts

Show single-year data.

Chart	Description	Best For
Pie	Proportional slices of a whole	Market share, regional breakdown, composition analysis
Treemap	Nested rectangles sized by value	Hierarchical data, comparing relative sizes (GDP by region)
Choropleth	World map colored by value	Geographic patterns, global comparisons
Heatmap	Grid with color intensity by value	Patterns across two dimensions (countries x years)

Distribution & Comparison Charts

Chart	Description	Best For
Scatter	Points plotted showing distribution	Finding outliers, understanding data spread
Box-Plot	Statistical distribution (median, quartiles)	Understanding data range and central tendency
Bullet	Actual value vs target with ranges	Performance against benchmarks
Waterfall	Incremental changes adding up	Understanding sequential changes (budget flows)
Candlestick	Open-high-low-close values	Economic volatility, range visualization

Flow Charts

Chart	Description	Best For
Sankey	Flows between nodes	Trade flows, migration patterns, resource allocation

Multi-Indicator Charts

These charts are designed to compare or correlate 2+ indicators. They require at least 2 indicators to work effectively.

Chart	Indicators	Description	Best For
Bubble	2-3	X-axis, Y-axis, and optional size	Correlating GDP vs inflation, adding population as size
Radar	3+	Multi-axis spider web	Economic profiles across multiple dimensions
Parallel	3+	Parallel vertical axes	Multi-dimensional analysis, finding patterns
Dumbbell	2	Two points connected by line	Before/after comparisons (2020 vs 2023)
Small Multiples	2+	Grid of mini-charts	Comparing trends across indicators
Stacked Bar with Line	2+	Bars with trend overlay	Composition with trend comparison

How the System Works

Automatic Indicator Trimming

When you select a single-indicator chart after having multiple indicators selected:

The system keeps only the first indicator
A notification appears explaining why other indicators were removed
You can switch to a multi-indicator chart to compare them again

Visual Indicators in Chart Selector

The chart type picker shows:

Badge “1”: Single indicator charts
Badge “2+”: Multi-indicator charts
Tooltip: Shows indicator requirement when you hover

Changing Indicators

Single-indicator charts: “Add Indicator” button becomes “Change Indicator”
Multi-indicator charts: Full indicator list with “Clear all” option

Quick Reference Table

Chart Type	Category	Min Indicators	Max Indicators	Data Type
Line	Single	1	1	Time-series
Area	Single	1	1	Time-series
Bar	Single	1	1	Time-series
Pie	Single	1	1	Snapshot
Scatter	Single	1	1	Distribution
Choropleth	Single	1	1	Geographic
Treemap	Single	1	1	Hierarchical
Heatmap	Single	1	1	Matrix
Waterfall	Single	1	1	Sequential
Bullet	Single	1	1	Target-based
Candlestick	Single	1	1	OHLC
Stream	Single	1	1	Composition
Bump	Single	1	1	Ranking
Box-Plot	Single	1	1	Distribution
Sankey	Single	1	1	Flow
Bubble	Multi	2	3	Correlation
Radar	Multi	3	10	Profile
Parallel	Multi	3	10	Multi-dim
Dumbbell	Multi	2	2	Comparison
Small Multiples	Multi	2	6	Grid
Stacked Bar + Line	Multi	2	5	Composite

Example Use Cases

Single Indicator Analysis

How has GDP grown in G7 countries over the last 20 years?

Chart: Line chart
Indicator: GDP (current US$)
Why: Time-series trend analysis of one metric

Which countries have the highest CO2 emissions?

Chart: Choropleth or Treemap
Indicator: CO2 emissions per capita
Why: Geographic or size-based comparison of one metric

Multi-Indicator Analysis

Is there a relationship between GDP and life expectancy?

Chart: Bubble chart
Indicators: GDP (X), Life expectancy (Y), Population (size)
Why: Correlating multiple metrics

How do BRICS countries compare across economic indicators?

Chart: Radar chart
Indicators: GDP, Inflation, Trade balance, Unemployment, FDI
Why: Multi-dimensional country profile

Tips for Choosing Charts

Start Simple

Use single-indicator charts for initial exploration

Add Complexity

Switch to multi-indicator when you want to correlate metrics

Consider Your Audience

Simpler charts are easier to understand

Match Your Question

Let your analysis goal guide your chart choice

Question to Chart Mapping

“How much?” → Bar, Treemap
“How has it changed?” → Line, Area
“Where?” → Choropleth
“What’s the relationship?” → Bubble, Scatter
“How do they compare across dimensions?” → Radar, Parallel

​Chart & Indicator Guide

​Overview

​Single Indicator Charts

​Time-Series Charts

​Snapshot Charts

​Distribution & Comparison Charts

​Flow Charts

​Multi-Indicator Charts

​How the System Works

​Automatic Indicator Trimming

​Visual Indicators in Chart Selector

​Changing Indicators

​Quick Reference Table

​Example Use Cases

​Single Indicator Analysis

​Multi-Indicator Analysis

​Tips for Choosing Charts