Creating Pie of Pie and Bar of Pie charts

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Excel pie charts are useful for presenting parts of a whole by splitting a circle into sections. Each section looks like a slice of a pie and represents a category. Such a layout makes it easy to observe relationships between the parts, but the smaller the slice becomes (less than 10%), the more difficult it is to estimate visually.
Pie of Pie Chart in Excel 365
Pie of Pie Chart in Excel 365

For example, if you have several companies that operate on the market, you can represent a part of every company on the market as a slice:

Pie Chart in Excel 365

This data contains five slices that fall below 10%.

To make smaller slices more visible in a pie chart, Microsoft Excel provides the Pie of Pie and Bar of Pie chart sub-types. Each chart sub-types separates the smaller slices from the main pie chart and displays them in a supplementary pie or stacked bar chart. To create a Pie of Pie or Bar of Pie chart, follow these steps:

Create a chart

   1.    Select the data range.

In this example, B3:C12).

   2.    On the Insert tab, in the Charts group, click the Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart button:

Pie Chart in Excel 365

From the Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart dropdown list, choose:

  • The Pie of Pie chart:
    Pie of Pie in Excel 365
  • Or the Bar of Pie chart:
    Bar of Pie in Excel 365

Excel creates a simple chart. For example, the Pie of Pie chart:

Pie of Pie Chart in Excel 365

Format the chart

   3.    Optionally:

  • Add the data labels (see how to add data labels to the pie or donut chart),
  • Move the Legend.

    To move the Legend, click the Chart Elements button, choose the Legend list, and select the preferred position.

    For example, position the Data Legend on the Right:

    Legend to Right in Excel 365

    For example:

    Pie of Pie with Legend labels in Excel 365

   4.    Right-click on the chart area and select Format Data Series... in the popup menu:

Format data series in popup menu Excel 365

   5.    On the Format Data Series pane, in the Series Options group, under the Split Series By Position, in the Values in second plot field, select which data to display in the second pie.

In this example, the second pie shows the 5 values:

Split Series By Position for pie chart in Excel 365

Note: There are several ways to choose which categories (slices) to display in the secondary pie or bar chart:

Dropdown list Split series by in Excel 365
  • Split series by - Position displays as many values in the second pie as specified in the Value in second plot field.

    For example, the 4 values:

    Example Split series by Position in Excel 365
  • Split series by - Value displays in the second pie all values less than the specified value in the Values less than field.

    For example, all values less than 0.1 (10%):

    Example Split series by Value in Excel 365
  • Split series by - Percentage Value displays in the second pie all parts less than the specified percentage in the Values less than field. If you have values in the data series, Excel calculates their percentage automatically.

    For example, values less than 10%:

    Example Split series by Percentage Value in Excel 365
  • Split series by - Custom allows specifying which pie you prefer to see each slice by selecting a data point and choosing the appropriate value in the Point Belongs to list.

    For example, the data point with 5% (Other) is selected for the second pie:

    Example Split series by Custom in Excel 365

You can then make any other adjustments to get the look you desire:

  • Pie Explosion detaches the slice from the pie chart:

    For example, the pie explosion of 20%:

    Example of Pie Explosion in Excel 365
  • Gap Width controls the distance between charts.

    For example, the distance is 25%:

    Example of Gap Width in Excel 365
  • Second Plot Size specifies the relative size of the second chart.

    For example, the second pie has the size of 88% of the first one:

    Example of Second Plot Size in Excel 365

See also how to add the 3D effects to the pie chart.

See also this tip in French: Un graphique en Secteurs de secteur ou Barres de secteur.

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