Map maker / Data maps
Choropleth map maker
Paste two columns from a spreadsheet, names and values, and get a shaded map with a proper legend. Works for countries and US states, numbers or categories.
Loading the data map editor…
From spreadsheet to map in four steps
- Choose the map (world, US states or a region) from the menu above the canvas.
- Copy two columns from Excel, Google Sheets or a CSV and paste them. A header row is fine.
- Pick a color scheme and the number of classes. Sequential schemes (Blues, Greens) suit "more or less" data; the diverging red–blue suits data with a meaningful middle, like change from last year.
- Press "Color the map", give it a title and source in the Style tab, and export.
Making a choropleth honest
Big countries dominate a choropleth simply because they cover more of the page. Russia and Canada look important on any world map, and that's one reason this site uses an equal-area projection: at least the areas you shade are drawn at their true relative size. The Mercator projection would make northern countries look up to many times larger than they are (see why Greenland looks huge).
Use five classes or fewer for most audiences; people can't reliably tell more shades of one hue apart. The ColorBrewer schemes by Cynthia Brewer, which the palettes here follow, were designed with that limit and with color-blind readers in mind.
Questions
What is a choropleth map?
A map where each area is shaded by a value, such as population density, unemployment rate or election result. The word comes from the Greek for "area" and "multitude".
Quantiles or equal steps?
Quantiles put roughly the same number of regions in each color, which shows ranking well but can split close values. Equal steps divide the range evenly, which is honest about magnitude but can leave most regions in one color when a few outliers are huge. Try both and see which tells the truth about your data.
Should I map totals or rates?
Usually rates. Shading by raw totals mostly shows where big regions or big populations are. Divide by population or area first (per capita, per km², per cent) unless the total itself is the point.
Can I make an election map?
Yes. Paste state or country names with the winner (for example "Ohio, Republican") and text values become categories. Recolor each category in the Paint tab to match party colors.
Which names are recognized?
Official and common English names, two- and three-letter ISO codes, US state names and USPS abbreviations, and many alternatives such as USA, UK, Czech Republic, Côte d'Ivoire or DRC. Anything that didn't match is listed so you can fix it.