In Excel, the Pie chart is a circular chart that displays data as “slices of a pie.” Each “slice” of the pie represents a data category, with the size corresponding to the percentage of the total the category represents. Pie charts often illustrate data distribution or the relative size of different data categories. They frequently show sales numbers, market share, and other data in business and financial presentations.
Excel’s built-in charting features make it simple to construct a Pie chart. You may construct a Pie chart that shows the data in a clear and easy-to-understand format by selecting the data you want to utilize and following a few simple steps. You can also change the colors, labels, and formatting settings to make the Chart more aesthetically appealing and useful for your presentation or study. This article will discuss two methods of creating a Pie chart using Excel.
Method 1: Using the Insert Tab
The Insert tab is one of the main tabs in the Excel ribbon. It contains various tools and options for inserting different objects and data into your Excel workbook. The Chart features allow users to insert the pie chart in their workbook.
Steps follow when creating a pie chart using Excel:
1. Open Excel Application
Open the Excel document that will contain your pie chart, whether it is an existing or new one. Double-click the Excel Icon and press CTRL + N to start a new document.
2. Enter the dataset
Enter the dataset you wish to transform to pie in the Excel empty Spreadsheet. Type your dataset in columns and rows. Alternatively, you can use a table to hold your dataset.
3. Select the dataset
Select the dataset you want to transform into a pie chart using your pointer. Select all cells, including those with headers.
4. Click the Insert Tab
The chart section in Excel is where you can create and customize various charts and graphs to represent your data visually. Click on the Insert Tab. Then, locate the Charts section. In the Charts group, you’ll see various chart types, such as column, line, pie, bar, scatter, etc.
5. Click the Insert Pie Drop-down button
In the Charts group, click the Insert Pie drop-down button, and choose the pie option you need. If you can’t see the chart option, click the More charts button and select the option you need.
On clicking the pie chart, it will be drawn on your current worksheet. Go ahead and customize your pie chart.
Method 2: Using the Quick Analysis Tool
The Quick Analysis feature in Excel is a tool that allows you to analyze and visually present your data quickly. It is intended to assist users unfamiliar with more advanced Excel features in performing basic analytical and formatting tasks.
The Quick Analysis menu offers various analysis and formatting options, including charts, tables, sparklines, conditional formatting, totals, and more. By selecting an option, Excel will automatically generate a preview of the analysis or formatting and apply it to your data.
There are two ways of using the Quick Analysis feature in creating a Pie chart in Excel. Let’s discuss these methods in detail.
i. Using Keyboard Shortcuts
Here are the steps to follow:
1. Open Excel Application
Open the Excel document that will contain your pie chart, whether it is an existing or new one. Double-click the Excel Icon and press CTRL + N to start a new document.
2. Enter the dataset
Enter the dataset you wish to transform to pie in the Excel empty Spreadsheet. Type your dataset in columns and rows. Alternatively, you can use a table to hold your dataset.
3. Select the dataset
Select the dataset you wish to transform into a pie chart using your cursor. Select all the cells, including the ones with the headers.
4. Press CTRL + Q
After selecting the dataset, press CTRL + Q keys on your keyboard to open the Quick Analysis Dialogue box.
5. Choose the Pie chart
In the dialogue box, click on the Chart Tab. Then, select the Pie option. On clicking, the pie chart will automatically appear on your worksheet. Go ahead and customize it to fit your preference.
ii. Using the Right Click feature
The Right-click feature in Excel is essential. It opens a context menu with a list of commands or options relevant to the current selection. The options in the menu may vary depending on the object or area you right-clicked on.
Here are the steps to follow when opening the Quick Analysis Tool using this tool.
1. Open Excel Application
Open the Excel document that will contain your pie chart, whether it is an existing or new one. Double-click the Excel Icon and press CTRL + N to start a new document.
2. Enter the dataset
Enter the dataset you wish to transform to pie in the Excel empty Spreadsheet. Type your dataset in columns and rows. Alternatively, you can use a table to hold your dataset.
3. Select the dataset
Select the dataset you wish to transform into a pie chart using your cursor. Select all the cells, including the ones with the headers.
4. Choose the Quick Analysis button
Right-click on the selected dataset, and choose the Quick Analysis option from the menu.
In the dialogue box, click on the Chart Tab. Then, select the Pie option. On clicking, the pie chart will automatically appear on your worksheet. Go ahead and customize it to fit your preference.
Customizing the Pie Chart in Excel
Customizing a pie chart in Excel allows you to modify its appearance and layout to convey your data better. Here are some common ways to customize a pie chart in Excel:
1. Change the chart type:
You can change the chart type to a different type of Chart, such as a doughnut chart, to better visualize your data. Here are the steps to change a pie chart type:
- Select the pie chart that you want to modify.
- Go to the Chart Tools tab in the Excel ribbon.
- In the Type group, click the Change Chart Type button.
- Select the new chart type you want to use in the Change Chart Type dialog box.
- Click OK to apply the changes.
2. Add data labels
You can add data labels to the pie chart to show the values or percentages of each data point. Here are the steps to add data labels to a pie chart:
- Select the pie chart that you want to modify.
- Go to the Chart Tools tab in the Excel ribbon.
- In the Chart Layout group, click the Add Chart Elements button.
- Select the desired data labels option, such as Value or Percentage.
- You can drag the data labels to a new location on the Chart.
- If you want to format the data labels, right-click on any data label and select Format Data Labels from the context menu.
3. Adjust chart Colors
You can change the colors of the pie chart to make it more visually appealing. Here are the steps to adjust colors for a pie chart:
- Select the pie chart that you want to modify.
- Go to the Chart Tools tab in the Excel ribbon.
- In the Current Selection group, click the Format Selection button.
- In the Format Data Series dialog box that appears, select the Fill tab.
- Choose the Solid fill option, then select the color for the chart slices.
- You can also customize the color for individual slices by selecting a slice and then choosing a different color.
- Click Close to apply the changes.
4. Explode slices
You can explode one or more pie chart slices to draw attention to a particular data point. Here are the steps to explode slices for a pie chart:
- Select the pie chart that you want to modify.
- Go to the Chart Tools tab in the Excel ribbon.
- Click on the slice that you want to explode. This will select the slice and highlight it.
- Right-click on the highlighted slice and select Format Data Series from the context menu.
- In the Format Data Series dialog box that appears, select the Series Options tab.
- In the Explosion section, enter a value for the explosion you want to apply.
- Click Close to apply the changes.
5. Add a chart title
You can add a title to the pie chart to provide context for the data. Here are the steps to add a chart title for a pie chart:
- Select the pie chart that you want to modify.
- Go to the Chart Tools tab in the Excel ribbon.
- In the Chart Layout group, click the Chart Title button.
- Select the Above Chart or Centered Overlay option, depending on where you want the title to appear.
- Type the desired chart title in the text box that appears.
- Adjust the font, color, and other formatting options for the chart title if necessary.
- Click outside the text box to apply the changes.
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