What is a pie chart?
A pie chart is a circle divided into slices, where each slice is a share of the whole. The full circle is always 100%, which makes pie charts good at one thing: showing that one part is about half, a quarter or a small fraction of the total.
A donut chart is a pie chart with the centre removed. The centre is a handy place for the total, and the slices are judged by their length around the ring, which many people find easier to compare. SheetGlance draws a donut by default.
When a pie chart works, and when it doesn’t
Use a pie chart when:
- the parts add up to a meaningful whole (100% of the budget, all survey answers);
- there are about six slices or fewer;
- the message is about share, such as “coffee is almost half of sales”.
Pick a different chart when:
- you compare values across many categories: use a bar graph;
- you show change over time: use a line graph;
- the values don’t form a whole, such as average scores per class.
Pie chart or bar graph?
| Pie chart | Bar graph | |
|---|---|---|
| Shows | Share of a whole | Size of each category |
| Number of categories | 2–6 | 2–15 or more |
| Exact comparison | Hard for similar slices | Easy |
| Good for | “Half of our sales are coffee” | “Store A sold 20% more than store B” |
How to make a pie chart in Excel
- Put the categories in one column and their values in the next, with headers.
- Select both columns.
- Go to Insert → Charts → Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart and choose Pie or Doughnut.
- Click + → Data Labels → More Options and tick Percentage to show shares.
Excel draws one slice per row, so if a category appears on many rows you need to total them first with a PivotTable. SheetGlance groups the rows and computes the percentages for you.
How to make a pie chart in Google Sheets
- Select the data and choose Insert → Chart.
- Under Setup → Chart type, choose Pie chart (or Doughnut chart).
- Under Customise → Pie chart, set Slice label to Percentage.
Tips for a clearer pie chart
- Order slices from largest to smallest, starting at 12 o’clock.
- Group small slices into “Other”: SheetGlance keeps the top seven and merges the rest.
- Label slices with percentages, not just a legend.
- Avoid 3D pies: the tilt makes front slices look bigger than they are.