Distributions of axial ratios and their relation with X-ray column density. Upper panels: distribution of host galaxy axial ratios. Panel a: Seyfert 1/1.2 (black line) and intermediate Seyfert 1.5 (red dashed line); panel b: Seyfert 2 (black line) and intermediate Seyfert 1.8/1.9 (blue dashed line). Lower panels: axial ratios versus X-ray absorption; panel c: broad line AGN (black circles Seyfert 1/1.2 and red circles Seyfert 1.5; panel d: narrow line AGN, black squares Seyfert 2 and blue squares Seyfert 1.8/1.9. Open circles refer to N_H upper limits or objects with no intrinsic absorption, i.e. only Galactic. Lines are as in Fig. 4.