Excel's pie chart is straightforward to create — two clicks from your data. The challenge is getting the labels and formatting right. Here's the complete process.
How to make a pie chart in Excel
Set up your data
Arrange your data in two columns: category names in column A, values in column B. Example: "Product A" in A2, 4500 in B2. You don't need headers, but they help Excel label the chart automatically.
Select both columns
Click the first category name, hold Shift, and click the last value. Both columns should be highlighted. Make sure you don't include blank rows.
Insert the Pie chart
Go to Insert → Charts → Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart (the pie icon) → Pie (the first option). Excel creates a 2D pie chart with a legend.
Add percentage labels to the slices
Right-click any slice → Add Data Labels. Then right-click the labels → Format Data Labels. Check Percentage, uncheck Value if you want only percentages. Set label position to "Inside End" or "Best Fit".
Cleaning up the chart
After inserting, Excel pie charts often need formatting adjustments:
- Remove the chart title placeholder — double-click it and type a real title, or click and press Delete to remove it entirely.
- Remove the legend — if your slices are labeled directly, the legend is redundant. Click the legend → Delete.
- Change slice colors — click once to select all slices, then click again to select one slice. Right-click → Format Data Point → fill color.
- Explode a slice — drag a single slice outward from the center to emphasize it. Click once on the pie, then again on the specific slice, then drag.
Adding a data table below the chart
For reports where readers need exact numbers alongside the visual:
- Click the chart to select it
- Go to Chart Design → Add Chart Element → Data Table → With Legend Keys
This adds a table below the chart showing the category names and values.
Pie chart vs donut chart in Excel
Excel also offers a donut chart under the same menu. The donut is functionally identical to a pie chart — same data, same percentages — but with the center removed. This lets you place a total, KPI, or label in the empty center. Choose whichever fits your design context.
When Excel pie charts fall short
- More than 6–7 categories — tiny slices become unreadable. Excel doesn't warn you; it just creates an illegible chart.
- No built-in "explode all" option — you must drag each slice individually.
- Percentage labels disappear on small slices — if a slice is less than about 5%, the label won't fit inside. You'll need to drag it outside manually.
- No direct export to SVG — Excel exports charts as images; for vector-quality output, use a dedicated tool.
For a cleaner result without these limitations, use the free pie chart maker.
FAQ
How do I show both the category name and percentage on each slice?
Right-click the data labels → Format Data Labels. Check both Category Name and Percentage. Use the Separator dropdown to choose how they appear (e.g., "Category Name (25%)" using a space/parenthesis separator).
Can I make a 3D pie chart in Excel?
Yes — under Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart, choose "3-D Pie". However, 3D pie charts distort the perceived slice sizes (slices at the front appear larger). Most data visualization guidelines recommend avoiding 3D pie charts.
Why don't my percentages add up to 100%?
Excel rounds each percentage independently, which can cause the total to display as 99% or 101%. This is a display rounding issue, not a data error. The slices themselves are still proportionally correct.
How do I make a donut chart in Excel?
Go to Insert → Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart → Donut. All the same formatting options apply. To add text to the center, you'll need to insert a text box manually and position it over the hole.
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