Maths
What is a pictogram?
Quick answer
A pictogram shows data using small pictures or symbols. A key tells you what each picture is worth, such as one apple standing for 2 apples. In the US it is often called a picture graph.
In one sentence
A pictogram is a chart that uses pictures to show how many there are of each thing.
Explained
A class counts the fruit in their lunch boxes. Instead of writing numbers, they draw a small picture for each piece of fruit. That's a pictogram. Each row (or column) is one category, and you count the pictures to read it.
apple- apple
- apple
banana- banana
orange
When the numbers get big, drawing one picture for every item takes too long. So pictograms use a key. The key says what each picture is worth, for example:
Key: one fruit picture = 2 pieces of fruit
Now 6 apples only needs 3 pictures. And an odd number like 7 needs 3½ pictures: three whole ones and a half. That's where fractions sneak in.
| Fruit | Pictures (each = 2) | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Apples | 3 whole | 6 |
| Bananas | 4 whole | 8 |
| Oranges | 1 whole + ½ | 3 |
| Grapes | 2 whole | 4 |
To read a pictogram, count the pictures in a row and multiply by the key. If each picture is worth 5 and there are 4½ pictures, that is 4 × 5 = 20, plus half of 5 = 2.5, giving 22.5. (In real life, keys are usually chosen so that answers come out as whole numbers.)
To draw one, choose a simple picture that is easy to draw the same size every time, line the pictures up neatly so rows can be compared, pick a key that suits your numbers, and always write the key and a title.
Pictograms are a great first step towards bar charts. A row of pictures is really a bar made of blocks.
Examples
- Key: 1 picture = 1 child. 5 pictures = 5 children.
- Key: 1 picture = 4 cars. 3 pictures = 12 cars; ¼ of a picture = 1 car.
- Key: 1 picture = 10 votes. 6½ pictures = 65 votes.
Common mistakes
- Ignoring the key and just counting pictures. Fix: always look at the key first.
- Pictures of different sizes, which makes a row look longer than it should.
- Not knowing how to read part of a picture. Half a picture is half the key's value.
Quick quiz
Pictograms
Check what you know with 4 quick questions.
Question 1 of 4
In a pictogram, one star stands for 2 children. How many children do 4 stars show?
Practise it
Try it
Browse maths worksheets for pictograms and data handling.
For grown-ups
Related topics
Bar charts
A bar chart shows data using bars of different lengths. The longer the bar, the bigger the number. In the US it is usually called a bar graph.
Counting
Counting means saying one number for each thing in a group, in order, to find out how many there are. The last number you say is the total.
Fractions
A fraction is part of a whole that has been split into equal parts. In ¾, the bottom number says how many equal parts and the top says how many you have.
Multiplication
Multiplication is adding equal groups quickly. 4 × 3 means 4 groups of 3 (or 3 groups of 4), which makes 12. The answer is called the product.
Mean, median and mode
Mean, median and mode are three kinds of average. The mean shares the total out equally, the median is the middle value in order, and the mode is the most common value.
2D shapes
2D shapes are flat shapes with length and width but no thickness, like circles, triangles, squares and hexagons. You can draw them on paper.