Pre-releases for plotnine 0.16.0 are now being published to PyPI. This is an early opportunity to try out new features as they're being developed. Some more features will be added in subsequent releases.
Installation
uv pip install --pre plotnine
pip install --pre plotnine
Key Features
Improved Plot Composition
Building on the composition system introduced in v0.15.0, you can now have finer control over how plots are arranged and annotated.
plot_layout - Customize the grid arrangement
Control the number of rows, columns, relative widths/heights, and fill order:
import math
import pandas as pd
from plotnine import *
from plotnine.data import mtcars, mpg
from plotnine.composition import plot_layout, plot_annotation, inset_element
p1 = ggplot(mtcars, aes("wt", "mpg")) + geom_point()
p2 = ggplot(mtcars, aes("factor(cyl)")) + geom_bar()
p3 = ggplot(mpg, aes("displ", "hwy")) + geom_point()
p4 = ggplot(mpg, aes("class")) + geom_bar() + coord_flip()
# Arrange 4 plots in a 2x2 grid with custom column widths
(p1 + p2 + p3 + p4) + plot_layout(ncol=2, widths=[2, 1])
# Control row heights
(p1 / p2 / p3) + plot_layout(heights=[2, 1, 1])
Use axes and axis_title to show one shared axis between composed plots
def drive(code, label):
return (
ggplot(mpg[mpg["drv"] == code], aes("displ", "hwy"))
+ geom_point(alpha=0.6)
+ scale_x_continuous(limits=(1.5, 7.5))
+ scale_y_continuous(limits=(10, 45))
+ labs(title=label)
)
d1 = drive("4", "four-wheel")
d2 = drive("f", "front-wheel")
d3 = drive("r", "rear-wheel")
(d1 | d2 | d3) + plot_layout(axes="collect")
plot_annotation - Add titles and captions to compositions
Add a title, subtitle, caption, or footer to the entire composition:
cmp = (p1 | p2) / p3
cmp + plot_annotation(
title="Vehicle Comparisons",
subtitle="Analyzing weight, cylinders, and displacement",
caption="Data: mtcars and mpg datasets"
)
You can also theme the composition annotations:
cmp + plot_annotation(
title="My Dashboard",
theme=theme(
plot_title=element_text(size=16, face="bold"),
figure_size=(10, 8)
)
)
New footer label for plots and compositions
Plots can now have a footer, set via labs() and styled with theme:
(
ggplot(mtcars, aes("wt", "mpg"))
+ geom_point()
+ labs(
title="Fuel Efficiency",
caption=(
"I installed an alpha release of plotnine and now I also carry the weighty \n"
"burden of distinguishing captions from footers. I doubt I will get far."
),
footer=f"Source: Motor Trend 1974 {" "*96} By: Plotnine v0.16.0a3 User",
)
+ theme(
plot_caption=element_text(color="brown"),
plot_footer=element_text(color="#333"),
plot_footer_background=element_rect(fill="#F2F2F2"),
plot_footer_line=element_line(color="black", size=0.5)
)
)
inset_element — Place plots and images inside another plot
Compose a plot, composition, or raster image inside a host plot using fractional coordinates. Adding an inset_element to a composition attaches it to the most recently added plot.
p1 + inset_element(p2, left=0.6, bottom=0.6, right=1, top=1)
p1 + inset_element(p2 | p3, left=0.4, bottom=0.5, right=1, top=1)
You can also inset PIL.Image.Image or numpy.ndarray. The image is letterboxed inside the bounding box so its aspect ratio is preserved, and anchor controls where it sits within the letterbox:
from PIL import Image
logo = Image.open("images/plotnine-hex.png")
p1 + inset_element(logo, 0, 0, .2, .2, anchor="bottom-left")
Secondary axes
Add a second axis to either dimension. Either transforming the primary axis one-to-one with sec_axis or as a copy of it with dup_axis:
(
ggplot(mtcars, aes("wt", "mpg"))
+ geom_point()
+ scale_y_continuous(sec_axis=sec_axis(lambda x: x * 0.354006, name="km/L"))
+ scale_x_continuous(sec_axis=dup_axis())
)
Strip position and placement
facet_wrap gained a strip_position parameter, which puts the strips on any
side of the panel.
(
ggplot(mpg, aes("displ", "hwy"))
+ geom_point()
+ facet_wrap("drv", strip_position="bottom")
+ scale_x_continuous(position="top")
+ theme(strip_placement="outside")
)
Polar Coordinates
(
ggplot(mpg, aes("class", fill="class"))
+ geom_bar()
+ coord_radial(inner_radius=0.1)
+ theme(legend_position="none")
)
(
ggplot(mtcars, aes("wt", "mpg"))
+ geom_point()
+ coord_radial(start=-math.pi / 2, end=math.pi / 2, inner_radius=0.3)
+ theme(
axis_line_theta=element_line(color="maroon"),
axis_ticks_major_theta=element_line(color="maroon"),
axis_text_theta=element_text(color="maroon"),
axis_line_r=element_line(color="steelblue"),
axis_ticks_major_r=element_line(color="steelblue"),
axis_text_r=element_text(color="steelblue"),
)
)
Contours
geom_contour and geom_contour_filled represent a gridded surface in two dimensions. The x and y values must form a grid with one z value per coordinate.
from plotnine.data import faithful, faithfuld
(
ggplot(faithfuld, aes("waiting", "eruptions", z="density"))
+ geom_contour(aes(color=after_stat("level")))
)
(
ggplot(faithfuld, aes("waiting", "eruptions", z="density"))
+ geom_contour_filled()
)
geom_density_2d_filled is the filled counterpart of geom_density_2d. It estimates the density of raw points and fills the bands between contours.
(
ggplot(faithful, aes("waiting", "eruptions"))
+ geom_density_2d_filled()
)
Polygons with holes
geom_polygon gained a subgroup aesthetic, which identifies the rings within one polygon. The first ring forms the exterior, and each later ring with the opposite winding direction cuts a hole. Filled contour bands are drawn this way.
square = pd.DataFrame({
"x": [0, 4, 4, 0, 1, 1, 3, 3],
"y": [0, 0, 4, 4, 1, 3, 3, 1],
"subgroup": [0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1],
})
(
ggplot(square, aes("x", "y", subgroup="subgroup"))
+ geom_polygon(fill="#3B6E8F", color="black", size=1)
)
I() for positioning relative to the panel and literal values
(
ggplot(mpg, aes("displ", "hwy"))
+ geom_point()
+ annotate("text", x=3, y=I(0.9), label="90%", color="red")
)

Pre-releases for plotnine 0.16.0 are now being published to PyPI. This is an early opportunity to try out new features as they're being developed. Some more features will be added in subsequent releases.
Installation
Key Features
Improved Plot Composition
Building on the composition system introduced in v0.15.0, you can now have finer control over how plots are arranged and annotated.
plot_layout- Customize the grid arrangementControl the number of rows, columns, relative widths/heights, and fill order:
Use
axesandaxis_titleto show one shared axis between composed plotsplot_annotation- Add titles and captions to compositionsAdd a title, subtitle, caption, or footer to the entire composition:
You can also theme the composition annotations:
New
footerlabel for plots and compositionsPlots can now have a footer, set via
labs()and styled with theme:( ggplot(mtcars, aes("wt", "mpg")) + geom_point() + labs( title="Fuel Efficiency", caption=( "I installed an alpha release of plotnine and now I also carry the weighty \n" "burden of distinguishing captions from footers. I doubt I will get far." ), footer=f"Source: Motor Trend 1974 {" "*96} By: Plotnine v0.16.0a3 User", ) + theme( plot_caption=element_text(color="brown"), plot_footer=element_text(color="#333"), plot_footer_background=element_rect(fill="#F2F2F2"), plot_footer_line=element_line(color="black", size=0.5) ) )inset_element— Place plots and images inside another plotCompose a plot, composition, or raster image inside a host plot using fractional coordinates. Adding an
inset_elementto a composition attaches it to the most recently added plot.You can also inset
PIL.Image.Imageornumpy.ndarray. The image is letterboxed inside the bounding box so its aspect ratio is preserved, andanchorcontrols where it sits within the letterbox:Secondary axes
Add a second axis to either dimension. Either transforming the primary axis one-to-one with
sec_axisor as a copy of it withdup_axis:( ggplot(mtcars, aes("wt", "mpg")) + geom_point() + scale_y_continuous(sec_axis=sec_axis(lambda x: x * 0.354006, name="km/L")) + scale_x_continuous(sec_axis=dup_axis()) )Strip position and placement
facet_wrapgained astrip_positionparameter, which puts the strips on anyside of the panel.
( ggplot(mpg, aes("displ", "hwy")) + geom_point() + facet_wrap("drv", strip_position="bottom") + scale_x_continuous(position="top") + theme(strip_placement="outside") )Polar Coordinates
( ggplot(mpg, aes("class", fill="class")) + geom_bar() + coord_radial(inner_radius=0.1) + theme(legend_position="none") )( ggplot(mtcars, aes("wt", "mpg")) + geom_point() + coord_radial(start=-math.pi / 2, end=math.pi / 2, inner_radius=0.3) + theme( axis_line_theta=element_line(color="maroon"), axis_ticks_major_theta=element_line(color="maroon"), axis_text_theta=element_text(color="maroon"), axis_line_r=element_line(color="steelblue"), axis_ticks_major_r=element_line(color="steelblue"), axis_text_r=element_text(color="steelblue"), ) )Contours
geom_contourandgeom_contour_filledrepresent a gridded surface in two dimensions. Thexandyvalues must form a grid with onezvalue per coordinate.( ggplot(faithfuld, aes("waiting", "eruptions", z="density")) + geom_contour_filled() )geom_density_2d_filledis the filled counterpart ofgeom_density_2d. It estimates the density of raw points and fills the bands between contours.( ggplot(faithful, aes("waiting", "eruptions")) + geom_density_2d_filled() )Polygons with holes
geom_polygongained asubgroupaesthetic, which identifies the rings within one polygon. The first ring forms the exterior, and each later ring with the opposite winding direction cuts a hole. Filled contour bands are drawn this way.I()for positioning relative to the panel and literal values( ggplot(mpg, aes("displ", "hwy")) + geom_point() + annotate("text", x=3, y=I(0.9), label="90%", color="red") )