How is nominal data often visualized in a report?

Nominal data represents categories without any inherent order, making it essential to choose effective visualizations to compare these distinct groups. Bar charts are particularly suitable for this type of data because they use bars to illustrate the frequency or count of each category separately. The length of each bar directly correlates to the quantity it represents, enabling viewers to easily compare the sizes of different categories at a glance.

While pie charts can also be effective for displaying proportions of nominal data, they are less capable of facilitating detailed comparisons between categories, especially when there are many categories or when the differences in size are subtle. Histograms are typically used for continuous data and display distributions, while line graphs represent trends over time and require a meaningful sequence, which does not apply to nominal categories. Thus, the preference for bar charts in visualizing nominal data arises from their ability to present categorical comparisons clearly and effectively, aiding in the interpretation of the dataset.