How to Make a Pie Chart in Excel

To make a pie chart in Excel, put your labels in one column and your numbers in the next, select both columns, then go to Insert and choose Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart. Pick 2-D Pie. To show percentages on each slice, click the chart and choose Chart Design > Quick Layout, then pick a layout that puts a percentage on every slice.

A pie chart works best for showing parts of one whole, like a budget or survey results (if you still need to collect answers, here is how to create a survey with Google Forms). The steps below follow Microsoft’s own Add a pie chart instructions, then cover labels, colors, other pie types, and fixes for charts that come out wrong.

What You Need Before You Start

These steps are written for current versions of Excel for Windows (Microsoft 365 and recent one-time-purchase versions). Excel for Mac uses the same Insert and Chart Design tabs, with a few differences that are called out below. Menus in Excel for the web and the phone apps can look different, so some of the formatting options here may be in another place or missing there.

The more important prerequisite is the data. Microsoft says pie charts work best when:

• You have only one data series. A data series is one set of related numbers, such as one column of monthly costs. A pie chart can only draw one.
• None of the values are negative, and almost none are zero.
• You have no more than seven categories. More than seven slices can make a chart hard to read.
• The categories are parts of one whole. Every slice should add up to a single total, such as total spending.

If your data does not fit that list, Microsoft suggests a bar chart, column chart, or line chart instead.

How to Make a Pie Chart in Excel

1. Type your categories in one column, such as Rent and Groceries, and the matching numbers in the column to the right. Put a short header at the top of each column. (Microsoft notes the data can also sit in one row of labels and one row of numbers.)
2. Select both columns, including the header row. Do not include a Total row. A total is a number like any other, so it would be drawn as one extra, oversized slice.
3. Click the Insert tab.
4. Click Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart in the Charts group. It is the small pie-shaped icon.
5. Choose the first option under 2-D Pie.

Excel adds the chart to your sheet, with one slice per row of data, and uses the header of your number column as the chart title. A legend (the color key) shows which color belongs to which category.

Not sure a pie is the right choice? Select the data and click Insert > Recommended Charts instead. Excel previews the chart types it thinks fit your data, and the All Charts tab lists every type, including Pie.

How to Show Percentages on a Pie Chart

You do not need to calculate anything. Excel works out each slice’s share of the total from your raw numbers.

The quick way: Quick Layout

1. Click the chart to select it. The Chart Design tab appears in the ribbon.
2. Click the Chart Design tab.
3. Click Quick Layout and choose a layout whose preview shows a label on each slice. In current versions this is usually Layout 1, which shows the category name and percentage.

Quick Layout applies a ready-made set of chart elements. Point to each layout to see what it adds before you click.

The detailed way: Format Data Labels

Data labels are the small pieces of text attached to each slice. Use this route when you want to choose exactly what they say.

1. Click the chart, then click the + (Chart Elements) button next to its upper-right corner. On a Mac, use Chart Design > Add Chart Element instead.
2. Point to Data Labels, click the arrow, and choose a position, or choose More Options (shown as More Data Label Options in some versions). Data Callout puts each label in a text bubble.
3. In the Format Data Labels pane, open Label Options. Under Label Contains, check Percentage. Check Category Name too if you want the name on the slice, and uncheck Value if you do not want the raw number.

You can also right-click any label and choose Format Data Labels to reach the same pane. To move a single label, drag it. To remove labels, select them and press Delete. Microsoft documents all of this in Add or remove data labels in a chart.

One thing to expect: Microsoft notes that percentages in data labels may be rounded, so they will not always add up to exactly 100. Showing more decimal places in the label’s number format fixes that.

How to Customize Your Pie Chart

• Change the title: click the title and type a new one.
• Change colors or style: click the chart, click the paintbrush (Chart Styles) button next to it, then pick from the Style or Color tabs. Chart Design > Change Colors does the same job from the ribbon. Microsoft’s chart color and style guide explains that these palettes come from the workbook theme.
• Recolor one slice: click the pie once, click the slice again so only it is selected, then choose a new fill color on the Format tab.
• Pull out a slice: click the pie, double-click the slice you want, and drag it away from the center.
• Hide a category: click the funnel (Chart Filters) button next to the chart, uncheck the category on the Values tab, and click Apply. The data stays in your sheet.
• Move or resize the chart: drag its border, or drag a corner handle.

Pull the whole pie apart

An exploded pie has a gap between every slice. Right-click the pie and choose Format Data Series, then drag the Pie Explosion slider or type a percentage. Set it back to 0% to close the gaps again. See Microsoft’s Explode or expand a pie chart for more detail.

Rotate the pie

If labels crowd together or sit under the title, turn the chart. Right-click any slice, choose Format Data Series, and change the Angle of first slice box from 0 to a number of degrees, such as 120 for a third of a turn. Microsoft’s Rotate a pie chart page says this works for pie, 3-D pie, and doughnut charts.

Put the slices in size order

Excel generally draws slices in the same order as your rows. To line them up from largest to smallest, sort the number column in your sheet (Data > Sort Largest to Smallest) and check that the chart follows.

Other Pie Chart Types

The same Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart menu holds several variations. You can also switch an existing chart: select it, click Chart Design > Change Chart Type, and pick another one.

Type	What it does	Good for
2-D Pie	A flat circle split into slices	Most charts; easiest to read
3-D Pie	The same pie drawn with depth	Decoration; slices can be harder to compare
Pie of Pie	Moves small slices into a second, smaller pie	Data with several tiny values
Bar of Pie	Moves small slices into a stacked bar	The same problem, with a bar instead of a second pie
Doughnut	A ring with a hole in the middle	More than one data series; each ring is one series

For Pie of Pie and Bar of Pie, Microsoft says the chart automatically moves the three smallest values into the second chart unless you say otherwise. To change that, right-click the chart, choose Format Data Series, and use the Split Series By box to split by position, value, or percentage. Then set how many values, or which cutoff, belongs in the second plot. The main pie is always on the left, and you cannot swap the two.

Microsoft also warns that doughnut charts are not easy to read and suggests a stacked column or stacked bar chart as an alternative.

How to Update, Undo, or Delete the Chart

The chart stays linked to its cells. Change a number in your sheet and the slice and its label change with it, so there is nothing to refresh. To confirm the chart is reading the right cells, click it once: Excel outlines the source range in the worksheet.

To change which cells the chart uses, right-click it and choose Select Data, then adjust the range. If you add rows often, turning the range into a table first can save that step. Our guide on making an Excel spreadsheet update automatically explains how tables work.

Made a change you do not like? Press Ctrl + Z (Command + Z on a Mac) to undo it. To remove the chart entirely, click its border and press Delete. Deleting a chart does not delete your data.

Troubleshooting Pie Chart Problems

• The Chart Design tab is missing. It only appears while a chart is selected. Click the chart once. Older versions label the tab Design under Chart Tools.
• There is no + button next to the chart. Use Chart Design > Add Chart Element instead. This is the normal route in Excel for Mac.
• The pie is one solid color or one giant slice. Excel is probably reading your data the wrong way around, or a total is included. Click Chart Design > Switch Row/Column, or delete the chart and reselect only the labels and one column of numbers.
• Only part of the data shows. A pie draws one data series. If you selected two number columns, the second one is left out. Make a separate pie for each column, or use a doughnut or column chart.
• A category is missing. Check that its value is not zero or blank, and open Chart Filters to make sure it is still checked.
• The labels overlap. Drag the chart larger, rotate the pie, drag individual labels, or move tiny slices into a Pie of Pie chart.
• The insert button is grayed out. Chart commands can be unavailable when the sheet is protected, when you are still typing in a cell, or when the file is open as read-only. Press Enter to finish editing the cell, and make sure you are allowed to edit the workbook.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my pie chart only show one color?

Your data is probably in one row instead of one column, or you selected more than one number column. Click the chart and select Chart Design > Switch Row/Column, or reselect just the labels and one column of numbers.

Can a pie chart show percentages I calculated myself?

Yes, but you rarely need to, because Excel calculates the percentages for you from the raw numbers. If you need the percentages in cells too, see how to calculate percentage in Excel. To show text from cells on the slices, open Format Data Labels and check Values From Cells under Label Contains, then select the cells.

Can I show both the number and the percentage?

Yes. In the Format Data Labels pane, check both Value and Percentage under Label Contains. Each label then shows both pieces of information.

How many slices should a pie chart have?

Microsoft recommends no more than seven categories. With more than that, combine the smallest items into an Other row, use a Pie of Pie or Bar of Pie chart, or switch to a bar chart.

Can I make a pie chart from two columns of numbers?

Not in a single pie. A pie chart plots one data series. A doughnut chart can show more than one series as separate rings, and a column or bar chart compares several series more clearly.

How do I put an Excel chart in a document?

Click the chart’s border, copy it with Ctrl + C, and paste it into Word or PowerPoint. If you use Google Workspace, here is how to insert a graph in Google Docs, and here is how to make a graph in Google Sheets.

Next Step

Once the chart looks right, give it a clear title, check that the percentages make sense against your numbers, and save the workbook. If the slices are hard to tell apart, that is a sign the data would read better as a bar or column chart.