Adding Legend Removes Data Labels

[DN200]

Hello,

I'd like to display data labels on a stacked bar chart.

It works fine without a legend:

But when I add a legend to this chart the data labels disapper on the smaller bars:

I thought that it was a sizing issue, that perhaps I had too many bars being displayed at once. But when I drilled down into one of the bars, the lables appear!

This drilled in level has TWICE as many bars as the first level and yet all of its data is annotated. 

It seems like there is a bug with how the data labels and legend are interacting.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[burakkaragoz · Accepted solution]

Hi @DN200 ,

This is a great observation, and you’re definitely not alone—adding a legend in Power BI stacked bar/column charts can sometimes cause data labels to disappear, especially on smaller bars. It’s not just a sizing issue; it’s actually due to how Power BI manages label rendering priority when multiple series (legend values) are present.

When you add a legend, Power BI tries to avoid overlapping labels and prioritizes which ones to show, often skipping smaller segments to keep the chart readable. But as you noticed, when you drill down (and the number of visible legend categories drops), the labels reappear—even if there are more bars in total.

A few things you can try:

• Increase the font size or reduce the number of legend categories to see if more labels appear.
• If possible, use “Data label density” (if available in the Format pane) to control how many labels are displayed.
• Consider switching to a clustered bar/column chart if your scenario allows, as these sometimes handle labels differently.
• As a workaround, you can also add a tooltip or custom visual to display the values on hover for the smaller bars.

Honestly, this does feel like a rendering limitation or minor bug in how Power BI handles data labels with legends. You’re not doing anything wrong, and many users have run into similar behavior.

If my response resolved your query, kindly mark it as the Accepted Solution to assist others. Additionally, I would be grateful for a 'Kudos' if you found my response helpful.
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[DN200]

Thanks for the detailed explanation!

Decreasing the font size of the legend or the data labels doesn't help. Power BI's lowest font setting is 8.

Data label density is pretty intriguing, but I don't have access to that functionality.

[v-aatheeque]

Hi @DN200 ,

In Power BI, the smallest font size allowed for legends and data labels is 8pt, and unfortunately, there’s no way to reduce it further. If your visual still appears cluttered at that size, consider the following alternatives to improve readability:

• Break the chart into multiple smaller visuals by category or apply filters to narrow down the data view. This helps reduce visual noise and makes the report easier to interpret.

Regarding the Data Label Density feature, it’s not universally available across all visual types and may require the latest version of Power BI Desktop. If you're unable to find this option:

• Ensure you're using a compatible visual, such as a clustered bar or column chart.

• Confirm that you’re on the most recent version of Power BI Desktop.

• If you're working with Power BI Report Server, be aware that certain features might be missing compared to the Power BI Service or Desktop versions.

Hope this helps!!

If this post was helpful, please consider marking Accept as solution to assist other members in finding it more easily.

If you continue to face issues, feel free to reach out to us for further assistance!

[v-aatheeque]

Hi @DN200 

Did you have a chance to review the response we provided regarding your query about font sizes in Power BI? To summarize, the smallest font size allowed for legends and data labels is 8pt, and unfortunately, it cannot be reduced further. If your visual still appears cluttered at that size, consider these alternatives to enhance readability:

Break the chart into multiple smaller visuals by category or apply filters to narrow down the data view. This approach helps reduce visual noise and makes the report easier to interpret.
Regarding the Data Label Density feature, please note that it may not be available for all visual types and might require the latest version of Power BI Desktop. If you cannot find this option, please ensure that you are using a compatible visual, such as a clustered bar or column chart, and confirm that you are on the most recent version of Power BI Desktop. Additionally, if you are using Power BI Report Server, be aware that certain features may be missing compared to the Power BI Service or Desktop versions.

If our answer was helpful, we would appreciate it if you could mark it as accepted. If the issue still persists, please let us know
we're here to assist you!

Thank You.

[v-aatheeque]

Hi @DN200 

I wanted to check in and see if you had the opportunity to review our response regarding your question about font sizes in Power BI.

To recap, the minimum font size for legends and data labels is 8pt, and it cannot be reduced further. If you are using Power BI Report Server, please note that some features may differ from those available in Power BI Service or Desktop.

If our response was helpful, we would greatly appreciate it if you could mark it as accepted. Should you still have any questions or if the issue persists, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

We’re here to help!

Thank you!

[v-aatheeque]

Hi @DN200 
Thanks for bringing this up!

We’ve tried to reproduce the behavior on our end using a basic sample dataset, and in our case, the data labels appeared correctly on the stacked bar chart, both with and without a legend, and across drill-up and drill-down levels.

Below are the screenshot for your refernce: 

Here are a few things you can check on your side :

• Ensure you're using the latest version of Power BI Desktop. Sometimes, display issues get resolved in newer builds.
• Double-check the formatting options under Data labels make sure label visibility isn’t conditional on size or overlap.
• If the bars are very small or the space is constrained, Power BI may automatically suppress some labels to reduce the font size.
• Try repositioning the legend or resizing the visual to see if that impacts label visibility.

If the issue still persists, feel free to share a small sample PBIX file and we’ll be happy to take a closer look!

Please show the expected outcome based on the sample data you provided.

How to provide sample data in the Power BI Forum - Microsoft Fabric Community

Hope this helps!!

If this post was helpful, please consider marking Accept as solution to assist other members in finding it more easily.

If you continue to face issues, feel free to reach out to us for further assistance!