How to Plot Histogram from List of Data in Python

You can use the following basic syntax to plot a histogram from a list of data in Python:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

#create list of data
x = [2, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 14]

#create histogram from list of data
plt.hist(x, bins=4)

The following examples show how to use this syntax in practice.

Example 1: Create Histogram with Fixed Number of Bins

The following code shows how to create a histogram from a list of data, using a fixed number of bins:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

#create list of data
x = [2, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 12, 13]

#create histogram with 4 bins
plt.hist(x, bins=4, edgecolor='black')

Example 2: Create Histogram with Specific Bin Ranges

The following code shows how to create a histogram from a list of data, using specified bin ranges:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

#create list of data
x = [2, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 12, 13]

#specify bin start and end points
bin_ranges = [0, 5, 10, 15]

#create histogram with 4 bins
plt.hist(x, bins=bin_ranges, edgecolor='black')

You can find the complete documentation for the Matplotlib histogram function here.

Additional Resources

The following tutorials explain how to create other commonly used charts in Matplotlib:

How to Plot a Time Series in Matplotlib
How to Create Boxplots by Group in Matplotlib
How to Increase Plot Size in Matplotlib