A histogram displays the distribution of a single continuous variable by dividing it into intervals (bins) and counting how many data points fall into each bin. It provides a snapshot of the shape, center, and spread of the data.
This chart is ideal for identifying skewness, modality (e.g., unimodal or bimodal), and outliers. For instance, a HR analyst may use a histogram to examine the age distribution of employees. A peak in the middle might suggest a majority in mid-career, while long tails could indicate outliers like interns or executives.
Histograms are essential tools in descriptive statistics and quality control.