Making a Pie Chart in Excel

Pie chart in Excel

Step 1: Have a list of data in Excel

This data can be numbers or percentages. The pie chart will be a representation of the percentages of the data total.

Example 1:
Here is a list of different fruits and the number of each. Notice that they add up to a total of 50.
image of spreadsheet cells, columns B through D and rows 15 through 20. Cells read as follows: B15=Watermelons, C15=5, B16=Pears, C16=20, B17=Apples, C17=15, B18=Oranges, C18=10.

Example 2:
Here is a list of the favorite color percentages of some population of people. Notice that the total percentage adds up to 100%.
image of spreadsheet cells B2 to C10, that form a table with headings Favorite Color (column B, cell B2) and Percent of Population (column C, cell C2). The data in cells B3 through C10 give percentages of population for each color as follows: Blue=30%, Green=11%, Red=13%, Yellow=9%, Orange=3%, Purple=17%, Pink=15%, Other=2%.

Step 2: Highlight the data

Highlight the data. If you want to have the labels on the chart, you need to highlight the labels of the data as well.

Step 3: Insert a Pie Chart

In Excel, go to Insert in the menu. Then select Chart. Then select Pie.

image of Excel menus, with the following menu sequence selected: Insert, then Chart, then Pie.

Excel will automatically create a pie chart for you. You can adjust the size by pushing and pulling on the sides of the chart. You can also edit the appearance of the chart using the menu bar at the top or by double-clicking on different parts of the chart.

Example 1:
image of data table in spreadsheet with a pie chart next to it. The data table reads as follows: B15=Watermelons, C15=5, B16=Pears, C16=20, B17=Apples, C17=15, B18=Oranges, C18=10. The pie chart has no new title added. The following colored pie chart pieces represent the data: Blue=Watermelons (5), Orange=Pears (20), Grey=Apples (15), Yellow=Oranges (10).

Notice that the pie wedges are not a representation of the numbers in the column, but the percentage of the total. Since our list of fruits add up to 50, the wedges are the percentage calculated as the number divided by 50.
Image of pie chart with no title and the following colored pie chart pieces: Blue=Watermelons (5), Orange=Pears (20), Grey=Apples (15), Yellow=Oranges (10). A chart series label reads: Series 1 Point 'Pears' Value: 20 (40%).

Since we have 20 pears, the orange wedge is 20/50=40% of the whole pie chart. We can see this percentage by hovering over a wedge in the chart.

Example 2:

This list of percentages add up to 100%, so our pie chart is an accurate representation of the percentages. If they didn’t add up to 100%, then the wedges of the pie chart would be different than the percentages listed.
image of pie chart in a spreadsheet with title: Percent of Population. The following colored pie pieces represent the data: Blue=Blue (30%), Orange=Green (11%), Grey=Red (13%), Yellow=Yellow (9%), light blue=Orange (3%), Green=Purple (17%), Dark blue=Pink (15%), Red=Other (2%). A series label reads: Series 'Percent of Population' Point 'blue' value: 30% (30%).

Because our list of percentages added up to 100%, the blue wedge that represents that 30% of the population like the color blue is also 30% of the pie chart. We can see this by hovering over the wedge.

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