How to Change the Number of Ticks in Matplotlib

You can use the following syntax to change the number of ticks on each axis in Matplotlib:

#specify number of ticks on x-axis
plt.locator_params(axis='x', nbins=4)

#specify number of ticks on y-axis
plt.locator_params(axis='y', nbins=2)

The nbins argument specifies how many ticks to display on each axis.

The following examples show how to use this syntax in practice.

Example 1: Specify Number of Ticks on Both Axes

The following code shows how to specify the number of ticks on both axes in a plot:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

#define data
x = [1, 2, 3, 4]
y = [7, 13, 24, 22]

#create plot
plt.plot(x, y, color='red')

#specify number of ticks on axes
plt.locator_params(axis='x', nbins=4)
plt.locator_params(axis='y', nbins=2)

Example 2: Specify Number of Ticks on X-Axis Only

The following code shows how to specify the number of ticks just on the x-axis:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

#define data
x = [1, 2, 3, 4]
y = [7, 13, 24, 22]

#create plot
plt.plot(x, y, color='red')

#specify number of ticks on x-axis
plt.locator_params(axis='x', nbins=2)

Example 3: Specify Number of Ticks on Y-Axis Only

The following code shows how to specify the number of ticks just on the y-axis:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

#define data
x = [1, 2, 3, 4]
y = [7, 13, 24, 22]

#create plot
plt.plot(x, y, color='red')

#specify number of ticks on y-axis
plt.locator_params(axis='y', nbins=2)