We explain what a double entry table is, its characteristics and what it is used for. Also, how to prepare it and various examples.
What is a double entry table?
A double entry table, double entry matrix or comparison table is a conceptual tool that allows you to visually organize the data you have on a specific topic, using a series of columns and rows in which to break down the information vertically and horizontally.
These tables or charts can be as extensive as required, and are a widely used resource in books, articles and presentations, when presenting abundant data or establishing statistical and conceptual comparisons. This is because they systematize information into categories that are not only conceptual, but also visual, by intersecting rows and columns in a matrix. You must read about Secondary Colors once.
This is, in fact, the characteristic element of this type of table: they contrast two types of information (one in the rows and one in the columns) in order to put them in direct relation. Hence its name: the crossing of two simultaneous information entries.
Characteristics of a double-entry table
Double-entry tables are characterized by the following:
- They are a type of table that allows information to be organized graphically, useful for complementing a text.
- They have two data entries, one in the columns and one in the rows, and inside the table these two pieces of information are contrasted.
- They can be as small or as extensive as needed, and they can also combine a large number of columns with a few rows, or vice versa.
- They are a versatile tool for presenting information in a systematic manner, and are widely used in projects, monographs, and presentations of results.
What is a double-entry table used for?
Double-entry tables are intended to organize, systematize and quickly arrange the desired information, through the contrast of two elements, topics or perspectives. For example:
Let’s suppose that a company needs to organize the hours of face-to-face work that correspond to each employee, given that most prefer to work from home. To do this, a table is created in which the names of the workers are arranged in a single row, and the days of the week in five different columns. In this way, when a worker sees his name in a column, he will be able to immediately find out which day of the week he has to go to work in person.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| Names of Employees | Jay Mortin | Julia Natalia | Priya Rahul | Martin Julia | Natalia María |
How to make a double entry table?
Double entry tables are easy to make. First, we must have the complete information that we need to represent graphically, especially the two categories that we want to contrast: days of the week and workers, for example, or subjects and grades, employees and jobs, among many others.
Then we must draw a table with as many rows and columns as we need to represent each data entry. When drawing the table, it is convenient to use tools such as rulers or computer programs that allow us to do it digitally.
If we want to create a table that compares subjects and grades obtained, we will need a single row of grades and as many columns as subjects evaluated; While if we want to compare the provinces of the country and the margins of their total population, we will need as many rows as there are provinces and as many columns as population ranges we have arranged (for example, less than 1000 inhabitants, 1000 to 10,000, 10,000 to 100,000, etc.).
Once we know what information will go in the rows and what information in the columns, the next step is to identify them, using the outermost rows and columns of the table. These identification boxes, which contain only the indicator of what information we will see in that row or column, can be colored or highlighted in some way so as not to confuse them with the content of the data.
Finally, we must distribute the information in the table, so that we can read it and obtain relevant information from the intersection of both entries. Maybe you should definitely read about Postal code once.
Examples of double-entry tables
The following are examples of double-entry tables:
Comparative table of South American countries and their GDP per capita in 2025:
| Country | GDP per capita (USD $) in 2025 |
|---|---|
| Argentina | 13,730.51 |
| Bolivia | 3,700.98 |
| Brazil | 10,043.62 |
| Colombia | 6,979.73 |
| Chile | 17,093.24 |
| Ecuador | 6,533.35 |
| Paraguay | 6,260.46 |
| Peru | 7,789.87 |
| Uruguay | 22,564.53 |
| Venezuela | 4,053 |
Double-entry table for night shifts in a nursing home:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| SHIFT | Maria Sergio | Pedro Roberto | Margot Sergio | Maria Roberto | Pedro Margot |
