How to use the Pie Chart Maker
- Paste two columns: labels and values (counts, amounts or percentages).
- Choose "Pie". Percentages are calculated from the values automatically.
- Add a title and download the pie chart.
When a pie chart works
Use a pie chart to show parts of one whole: survey answers, budget shares, market share. It works best with 2–6 slices. With more categories, or when you need to compare values precisely, a bar graph is easier to read.
Values and percentages
You can enter raw counts or percentages. Plotiq divides each value by the total, so the slices always add to 100%. Zero and negative values are left out because they cannot be shown as slices.
Worked example: survey answers
The sample is a five-point survey with 150 responses. Plotiq divides each count by the total and labels the slices with percentages, so you don’t need to calculate them yourself:
| Answer | Responses | Slice |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly agree | 38 | 25.3% |
| Agree | 64 | 42.7% |
| Neutral | 27 | 18.0% |
| Disagree | 14 | 9.3% |
| Strongly disagree | 7 | 4.7% |
| Total | 150 | 100% |
Tips for a clear pie chart
Order matters. Slices are drawn clockwise from the top in the order of your rows, so sort the data from largest to smallest unless the categories have a natural order (like the agree–disagree scale above). Combine tiny slices. Anything under about 3% gets no label and is hard to see; group those rows into an "Other" row. Avoid comparing two pies. People judge angles poorly, so for comparing two years or two groups use a grouped bar graph instead.
For printing, the grayscale palette uses shades from white to black with black outlines, so every slice stays distinct on a black-and-white printer.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I make a pie chart from Excel data?
- Copy the label and value columns from Excel (including the header row) and paste them into the data box, or open the .xlsx file directly. The chart appears immediately.
- Can I show values instead of percentages?
- Slices are labelled with percentages; hover over a slice to see its exact value and share of the total.
- Do my values need to add up to 100?
- No. Enter any positive numbers; percentages are calculated from the total.
- Can I make a black-and-white pie chart?
- Yes. Choose the "Black & white" or "Grayscale" palette for print-friendly gray fills with black outlines.
- Is my data private?
- No. Your data never leaves your browser. Plotiq parses and plots files locally with JavaScript, so nothing is uploaded to a server.
Last updated: · by the Plotiq team