8.4 Pie and Doughnut Charts
Use for one series, few slices (≤ 5), when the message is "share of a whole". Otherwise use a bar chart.
Worked example – payment mode share (fictional, one month, Pune): UPI 68%, Card 14%, Cash on Delivery 12%, Wallet 6%. A doughnut with the total in the centre (a text box linked to a cell: select the text box, type = in the formula bar and click the total cell).
Steps in Excel
- Select the payment modes and values › Insert › Charts › Pie or Doughnut › Doughnut.
- Ctrl + 1 on the ring › Doughnut Hole Size 60%.
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- › Data Labels › More Options › tick Category Name and Percentage, untick Value.
- Sort slices largest first; start the first slice at 0° (Angle of first slice).
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Putting 10–12 slices in a pie chart is a favourite mistake of many students – you can't read a single slice. If there are more than 5 categories, put the small ones into "Others" or use a bar chart. And never use 3D in a pie chart.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी
Pie chart मध्ये 10-12 slices टाकणं ही बऱ्याच students ची आवडती चूक आहे – एकही slice वाचता येत नाही. 5 पेक्षा जास्त categories असतील तर लहान categories "Others" मध्ये घाला किंवा bar chart वापरा. आणि pie chart मध्ये 3D कधीच नको.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी
Pie chart में 10-12 slices डालना बहुत से students की पसंदीदा गलती है – एक भी slice पढ़ी नहीं जाती. 5 से ज़्यादा categories हों तो छोटी categories को "Others" में डालो या bar chart इस्तेमाल करो. और pie chart में 3D कभी नहीं.
Practice tasks (10+)
Try these on a blank sheet. Open a hint only if you are stuck. No quiz — just practice.
1. Rebuild the smallest example of pie and doughnut charts on a blank sheet for BrightLedger Finance.
Hint: Use only the steps on this page. Keep numbers numeric.
2. Change one input for Rohan Patil and confirm the result updates.
Hint: If the result is stuck, check absolute vs relative references.
3. Repeat the same steps with a £ or € value for Liam Murphy.
Hint: Formatting must not break SUM.
4. Write the result meaning in one plain sentence next to the cell.
Hint: Imagine explaining it to a new joiners.
5. Add a second row and fill the method down.
Hint: Double-click the fill handle if the pattern is consistent.
6. Break the example on purpose, then fix it using this lesson.
Hint: Common break: text instead of a number.
7. Apply pie and doughnut charts to a 5-row made-up BrightLedger Finance table.
Hint: Keep column headers clear.
8. Check your answer with a simple total or COUNT.
Hint: A wrong total usually means a format or key mismatch.
9. Swap ₹ and $ on one column and re-check totals.
Hint: Stored values stay the same; only the display changes.
10. List two mistakes beginners make with pie and doughnut charts.
Hint: Look back at the tip box on this page.
11. Teach the steps out loud in under one minute.
Hint: Why → What → How.
12. Save the sheet as BrightLedger_practice.xlsx.
Hint: Use a clear file name for class.
Loading practice tasks...
- Total days admitted (Easy): Add up Days admitted in D2:D11.
- Average bill (Easy): Average of the Bill amount (₹) column, rounded to 2 decimals.
- Rows in Cardiology (Easy): How many rows have Category/group "Cardiology"? (column B)
- Largest days admitted (Easy): The largest value in D2:D11.
- Days admitted for Cardiology (Medium): Total of the Days admitted column where Department is "Cardiology".
- Cardiology in Pune (Medium): Total of the Days admitted column where Department is "Cardiology" and City is "Pune".
- Best in Cardiology (Medium): Largest E2:E11 value where B is "Cardiology".
- Value of row 2 (Medium): Multiply the first-row Days admitted by the first-row Bill amount (₹).
- Look up Kavya Reddy (Medium): The Days admitted for "Kavya Reddy" (use a lookup on column A).
- Total value (Hard): Sum of D times E for all rows.
- Share of Cardiology (Hard): Share of D2:D11 that is "Cardiology", rounded to 3 decimals.
- Total "Days admitted" for Cardiology (Hard): Add up the "Days admitted" column for the rows where "Department" is "Cardiology".
- Above average? (Hard): "Above" if E2 is above the average of E2:E11, else "Below".
Quick revision cards
Three standalone cards. Each one explains the idea with its own example. Scan the QR to open this lesson.
