Excel Doughnut Chart: Show Parts of a Whole With a Total

A doughnut chart in Excel shows how one whole splits into parts, like a pie chart with a hole in the middle. That hole is the reason to choose it: it gives you a natural place to show the total. This guide covers how to make a doughnut chart, how to put a live total in the centre, how to change the ring and how to build a progress ring. It's for anyone who already knows when a part-of-a-whole chart fits and wants the doughnut version done well.

What data does a doughnut chart need?#

A doughnut chart needs one column of labels and one column of positive numbers that add up to a meaningful whole. Here are sales by channel in A1:B5:

The four channels add up to 20,000, so each slice is a share of total sales. The rules are the same as for a pie chart: a few parts, no negative values, and parts that really belong to one whole. The guide to making a pie chart in Excel explains these rules and when to avoid round charts altogether.

If your data is a long list of individual sales, summarise it first. A SUMIF per channel, or a PivotTable, turns hundreds of rows into the four totals the chart needs.

How to make a doughnut chart in Excel#

The chart lives in the same menu as the pie chart:

1. Select A1:B5, including the headers.
2. Go to the Insert tab.
3. Click Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart and choose Doughnut. In Excel for Mac, click the Pie button on the Insert tab, then Doughnut.
4. Click the chart title and type a clear one, such as "Sales by channel".

Excel draws one ring with four segments. The legend shows which colour is which channel. To label the segments instead, click the chart, open Chart Elements (the + button; on a Mac, Chart Design > Add Chart Element) and tick Data Labels. The Excel chart basics guide covers titles, legends and labels for every chart type.

How to show a total in the middle#

The centre of the doughnut is the best place for the total. Link a text box to a cell so the number stays up to date:

1. In an empty cell, such as E2, build the label:

   Excel formula

   ="Total "&TEXT(SUM(B2:B5),"$#,##0")

   This returns Total $20,000. SUM adds the four channels, TEXT formats the number with a dollar sign and a thousands comma, and & joins it to the word "Total". The SUM function guide covers SUM in more detail.

2. Click the chart, then go to Insert > Text Box and draw a box inside the hole.

3. Click the border of the text box, so the box is selected rather than the text inside it.

4. Click in the formula bar, type =, click cell E2 and press Enter.

The text box now shows whatever E2 shows. Change a sales figure and the centre updates with the chart. Format the text box with no fill and no outline so it sits cleanly in the hole.

How to show percentages on the segments#

Percentages make a doughnut much easier to read. The quickest way is built in: right-click the data labels, choose Format Data Labels, tick Percentage and untick Value.

If you need the percentages in cells too, calculate each share of the total. In C2, type and fill down (Windows: Ctrl+D; Mac: ⌘D):

=B2/SUM($B$2:$B$5)

Format column C as a percentage. The shares are 42%, 31%, 17% and 10%, which add up to 100%. The $ signs keep the total range fixed as you fill. The article on calculating a percentage of total explains this formula, and if your numbers come from a PivotTable, Show Values As can show % of grand total without any formula.

How to change the hole size and segment colours#

Change the ring's thickness in the series settings. Right-click the ring, choose Format Data Series and find Doughnut Hole Size under Series Options. A smaller percentage makes the ring thicker and leaves less room in the centre. A larger percentage makes a thin ring. Pick a size that fits your centre label without crowding it.

In the same pane, Angle of first slice rotates the ring, which helps put the biggest segment at the top. To change one segment's colour, click the ring once, click the segment again to select only that one, then pick a colour under Fill. Use one strong colour for the segment you want people to notice and quieter colours for the rest.

How to make a progress ring#

A doughnut with two values makes a simple progress ring, a common way to show "how far are we toward the target?" For a sales target of 25,000:

Make a doughnut from A1:B3, colour the Achieved segment strongly and the Remaining segment light grey, and link a centre text box to B2. MIN caps Achieved at 100%, so the chart doesn't break when sales beat the target. In a real sheet, point the formula at the cells holding sales and target instead of typing the numbers.

When a doughnut chart isn't the right choice#

A doughnut has the same limits as a pie, plus one of its own. Choose a different chart when:

• There are more than five or six parts. Thin segments are hard to compare. Group small ones into "Other" or use a bar chart.
• The values don't form one whole. Survey questions where people tick several answers, or values that can be negative, need a bar or column chart.
• You need to compare several groups. Excel lets you add more series as extra rings, but the outer rings look bigger and are very hard to compare. A clustered or stacked bar chart is clearer.
• Exact differences matter. People judge lengths better than angles. If Online vs Store is the key point, a bar chart shows it better.

Practise it#

Try the exercise on this page to build a live centre label with SUM and TEXT. Then practise pivot-style summaries in a live spreadsheet to turn raw sales lists into category totals, and practise percentages so every share on your chart is calculated correctly.