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A right skewed histogram is a graphical representation of a data set in which the majority of the data points are clustered towards the left side of the histogram, with a long tail extending towards the right side. This type of histogram is also known as a positively skewed histogram.
Some examples of right skewed histograms include income distributions, where a large number of people have relatively low incomes and a small number of people have very high incomes, or test scores, where most students receive average or below average scores and a few students receive exceptionally high scores.
Interpreting a right skewed histogram involves understanding that the data is not evenly distributed and that there is a larger concentration of data towards one end of the spectrum. This indicates that there is a significant number of outliers or extreme values in the data set. In other words, the data is heavily influenced by a few high values, which can skew the overall picture of the data. It is important to consider these outliers when analyzing the data, as they can have a significant impact on the overall results.
Right Skewed Histogram: Examples and Interpretation
A histogram is a type of chart that allows us to visualize the distribution of values in a dataset.
We say that a histogram is right skewed if it has a “tail” on the right side of the distribution:
Note: Sometimes a right skewed histogram is also referred to as a positively skewed histogram.
A right skewed histogram has the following two properties:
1. The peak of the distribution is on the left side.
2. The mean is greater than the median.
What Causes a Histogram to Be Right Skewed?
A histogram is typically right skewed when there is a limit on the minimum possible value but no limit on the maximum possible value.
The most obvious real-life example of a right skewed histogram would be the distribution of income in a country.
The minimum income that a person could earn is zero dollars while there is no maximum income that a person could earn.
In general, most individuals might earn around $40k per year but there will be a few outliers that earn several millions of dollars per year.
When we create a histogram to visualize the distribution of income, it will naturally be right skewed:
Why is the Mean Greater than the Median in a Right Skewed Histogram?
As a simple example, suppose we have the following dataset that contains the income of 10 individuals:
Dataset 1: $30k, $35k, $35k, $40k, $50k, $55k, $55k, $70k, $90k, $110k
Here are the mean and median values of this dataset:
- Mean: $57k
- Median: $52.5k
Now suppose we have another dataset that contains the exact same incomes except the last value is now $2.5 million:
Dataset 2: $30k, $35k, $35k, $40k, $50k, $55k, $55k, $70k, $90k, $2.5 million
Here are the mean and median values of this dataset:
- Mean: $296k
- Median: $52.5k
This last outlier value causes the mean income to increase significantly.
And if we plot this distribution, it would be a right skewed histogram with the $2.5 million value located on the right “tail” of the histogram.
The Difference Between Right Skewed & Left Skewed Histograms
The opposite of a right skewed histogram is a left skewed histogram.
This is a type of histogram that has a “tail” on the left side of the distribution:
This type of histogram has the following properties:
1. The peak of the distribution is on the right side.
2. The mean is less than the median.
Notice that these are the exact opposite properties of a right skewed histogram.
Read more about left skewed histograms in .
The following tutorials provide additional information about histograms:
Cite this article
stats writer (2024). What are some examples of right skewed histograms and how can they be interpreted?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/what-are-some-examples-of-right-skewed-histograms-and-how-can-they-be-interpreted/
stats writer. "What are some examples of right skewed histograms and how can they be interpreted?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 25 Jun. 2024, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/what-are-some-examples-of-right-skewed-histograms-and-how-can-they-be-interpreted/.
stats writer. "What are some examples of right skewed histograms and how can they be interpreted?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2024. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/what-are-some-examples-of-right-skewed-histograms-and-how-can-they-be-interpreted/.
stats writer (2024) 'What are some examples of right skewed histograms and how can they be interpreted?', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/what-are-some-examples-of-right-skewed-histograms-and-how-can-they-be-interpreted/.
[1] stats writer, "What are some examples of right skewed histograms and how can they be interpreted?," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, June, 2024.
stats writer. What are some examples of right skewed histograms and how can they be interpreted?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2024;vol(issue):pages.