In this lesson, we show you how to create a simple pie chart in Excel.
Pie charts are very common in most businesses. On the whole, they are easy to read and understand. Therefore, you should know how to create one.
Steps to Create a Simple Pie Chart
Step 1: Select Your Data
- Select your data. In our case, A1 to B5. Keep in mind, we really do not need to select the top row. So really, you can just select A2 to B5.
Step 2: Select Your Chart
- Click Insert from the menu.
- Under the Insert ribbon, click on the chart icon in the Charts section.
A drop down of available pie charts appears.
- Under 2-D Pie, click the first chart, which is a regular pie.
Your pie chart should appear on the sheet, like shown below.
Step 3: Get Rid of the Title and Legend
- Click on the title and press delete.
And, click on the legend and press delete.
Overall, the title took up a lot of space. And, since each piece of the pie has a different color, we do not need a legend.
As a result, the pie chart should fill up the chart area.
Step 4: Add Data Labels
- Right-click on the pie.
- And, select Add Data Labels from the shortcut menu.
Labels should appear on your chart. However, we do not see the names of the people who sold chocolate.
To show the names too…
- Right-click on the data labels.
- From the shortcut menu, select Format Data Labels…
The Format Data Labels dialog box should appear. Most likely, on the right side of the screen.
- Check Category Name.
In addition, you may want to show the percentage instead of the value. Or, both. - Since we want a new line to separate the category name and the value, select (New Line) as the separator.
- We chose Outside End as the Label Position.
Success!
Now that you got your pie chart going, you can move on to higher things. Again, although it is a simple chart, it is very common in businesses.
And, guess what? We like to keep it simple.
Sample Pies
Below are some sample pies using the same data as in this tutorial.
Related Information
Create a Chart from Start to Finish
