Pie and doughnut charts in Excel - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Pie and doughnut charts help you show parts of a whole in a simple circle shape. They make it easy to see how different pieces compare to each other in size. This is useful when you want to show percentages or shares visually.

When you want to show how sales are divided among different products in a simple picture.

When you need to display the percentage of expenses in a budget report.

When you want to compare the market share of different companies in a clear way.

When you want to highlight the biggest or smallest parts of a group quickly.

When you want to create a visual summary of survey results with categories.

Steps

Step 1: Select

- the cells containing your data and labels

The data range is highlighted on the worksheet

💡 Include both the category names and their values in your selection

Step 2: Click

- Insert tab on the Ribbon

The Insert tab options appear

Step 3: Click

- Pie Chart dropdown in the Charts group

A menu with pie chart types appears

Step 4: Select

- either '2-D Pie' or 'Doughnut' chart type

The chart is inserted into the worksheet showing your data as a pie or doughnut

Step 5: Click

- Chart Elements button (plus icon) next to the chart

Options to add or remove chart elements appear

💡 Use this to add data labels or a legend for clarity

Step 6: Click

- Chart Styles button (paintbrush icon) next to the chart

Style and color options appear for the chart

💡 Choose a style that makes your chart easy to read

Before vs After

Before

A table with product names in column A and sales numbers in column B, no chart present

After

A colorful pie or doughnut chart appears showing each product's sales share visually

Settings Reference

Chart Type

📍 Insert tab > Charts group > Pie Chart dropdown

Choose the shape and style of the pie or doughnut chart

Default: 2-D Pie

Data Labels

📍 Chart Elements button (plus icon) > Data Labels

Show values or percentages on the chart slices

Default: None

Legend

📍 Chart Elements button (plus icon) > Legend

Show or hide the legend and choose its position

Default: Right

Chart Styles

📍 Chart Styles button (paintbrush icon)

Change the look and color scheme of the chart

Default: Default style

Common Mistakes

Selecting only the numbers without the category labels

The chart will not show meaningful labels, making it hard to understand

Always select both the category names and their corresponding values before inserting the chart

Using too many categories in the pie chart

The chart becomes cluttered and hard to read with many small slices

Limit the number of categories or group smaller ones into an 'Other' category

Not adding data labels or legend

Viewers cannot tell what each slice represents easily

Add data labels or a legend using the Chart Elements button for clarity

Summary

Pie and doughnut charts show parts of a whole using circle shapes.

Select both labels and values before inserting the chart from the Insert tab.

Add data labels or legends to make the chart easy to understand.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of a pie chart in Excel?

easy

A. To display data trends over time

B. To compare two sets of data side by side

C. To show parts of a whole as slices of a circle

D. To list data in rows and columns

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand pie chart basics

   A pie chart divides a circle into slices representing parts of a whole.

2. Step 2: Compare with other chart types

   Unlike line or bar charts, pie charts focus on showing proportions, not trends or comparisons.

3. Final Answer:

   To show parts of a whole as slices of a circle -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Pie chart = parts of whole [OK]

Hint: Pie charts show slices of a circle representing parts [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking pie charts show trends over time
• Confusing pie charts with bar charts
• Using pie charts for unrelated data types

2. Which of the following is the correct way to insert a doughnut chart in Excel?

easy

A. Select data, press Ctrl+C, then Ctrl+V

B. Select data, go to Insert tab, click on Doughnut chart icon

C. Right-click data and choose 'Create Pie Chart'

D. Use the formula =DOUGHNUTCHART(A1:A5)

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate chart insertion method

   Excel inserts charts from the Insert tab where chart types are listed.

2. Step 2: Identify doughnut chart option

   Under Insert, the Doughnut chart icon is available to create this chart type.

3. Final Answer:

   Select data, go to Insert tab, click on Doughnut chart icon -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Insert tab -> Doughnut chart icon [OK]

Hint: Insert tab has all chart types including doughnut [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to create charts with formulas
• Copy-pasting data instead of inserting charts
• Right-click menu does not create doughnut charts

3. Given this data in cells A1:B4:
Category | Value
Food | 30
Rent | 50
Utilities| 20
What percentage will the 'Rent' slice show in a pie chart?

medium

A. 50%

B. 33.3%

C. 30%

D. 20%

Solution

1. Step 1: Calculate total value

   Total = 30 + 50 + 20 = 100

2. Step 2: Calculate Rent percentage

   Rent = 50; Percentage = (50 / 100) * 100 = 50%

3. Final Answer:

   50% -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Rent is half of total = 50% [OK]

Hint: Divide slice value by total sum, multiply by 100 [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Adding percentages instead of values
• Using wrong total sum
• Confusing category names with values

4. You created a pie chart but the slices do not add up to 100%. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. Chart is not selected

B. Chart type is set to bar chart

C. Data labels are missing

D. Data includes blank or zero values

Solution

1. Step 1: Check data values

   Blank or zero values reduce total sum, causing slices not to add to 100%.

2. Step 2: Verify chart type and labels

   Bar chart or missing labels do not affect slice percentages adding to 100%.

3. Final Answer:

   Data includes blank or zero values -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Missing data affects pie slice totals [OK]

Hint: Check for blanks or zeros in data range [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing chart type with data issues
• Assuming labels affect slice sums
• Not checking data completeness

5. You want to create a doughnut chart showing sales by region, but also want to highlight the top region slice with a different color. What is the best way to do this in Excel?

hard

A. Create the doughnut chart, then click the top region slice and change its fill color

B. Use a formula to color the slice automatically

C. Insert a pie chart instead and change the chart type later

D. Add data labels and remove the legend

Solution

1. Step 1: Insert doughnut chart with sales data

   Select data and insert a doughnut chart from the Insert tab.

2. Step 2: Highlight top region slice

   Click the slice representing the top region, then change its fill color manually.

3. Final Answer:

   Create the doughnut chart, then click the top region slice and change its fill color -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Manual slice color change highlights parts [OK]

Hint: Click slice, then change fill color to highlight [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Expecting formulas to color slices automatically
• Changing chart type instead of slice color
• Removing legend instead of highlighting slice