dumbbell chart

R code of the ggplot2 example

library(ggplot2)
library(dplyr)
library(tidyr)
library(gapminder)

## The ten most populous countries of Asia in 2007.
largest <- gapminder |>
  filter(continent == "Asia", year == 2007) |>
  slice_max(pop, n = 10) |>
  pull(country)

life <- gapminder |>
  filter(country %in% largest, year %in% c(1952, 2007)) |>
  select(country, year, lifeExp) |>
  pivot_wider(names_from = year, values_from = lifeExp, names_prefix = "y") |>
  mutate(country = reorder(droplevels(country), y2007 - y1952))

ends <- life |>
  pivot_longer(c(y1952, y2007), names_to = "year", values_to = "lifeExp") |>
  mutate(year = sub("y", "", year))

p <- ggplot(life, aes(y = country)) +
  geom_segment(aes(x = y1952, xend = y2007, yend = country), colour = "#bdbdbd", linewidth = 1.2) +
  geom_point(data = ends, aes(x = lifeExp, colour = year), size = 2.5) +
  geom_text(data = filter(ends, country == last(levels(life$country))),
            aes(x = lifeExp, label = year, colour = year), vjust = -1, size = 3.2) +
  scale_x_continuous(labels = lex_number, breaks = lex_break_breaks, expand = lex_break_expand) +
  scale_y_discrete(expand = expansion(add = c(0.6, 1.2))) +
  labs(title = "Asia's largest countries gained 20 to 34 years\nof life expectancy",
       subtitle = "The ten most populous countries in Asia, 1952 to 2007, sorted by gain",
       x = "Life expectancy (years)", y = NULL,
       caption = "Data: Gapminder, via the gapminder R package") +
  theme_lex_viz(grid = "x", arrows = "x", break_not_zero = "x") +
  theme(legend.position = "none")