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Data Presentation - Pie Charts

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A pie chart is a type of graph in which a circle is divided into sectors that each represents a proportion of the whole. Pie charts are a useful way to organize data in order to see the size of components relative to the whole, and are particularly good at showing percentage or proportional data. While pie charts are popular data representations, they can be hard to read, and it can be difficult to compare data from one pie chart to another. Pie charts are a useful way to visualize information that might be presented in a small table.

source: ers.usda.gov

The pie chart above shows the distribution of fluid milk in the U.S. in 2013. Note: the percentages in the names of the milk, "plain 1% milk," "plain 2% milk," etc. indicate different types of milk.

The entire circle encompasses all of the fluid milk, and the sectors represent specific products that use a percentage of that milk. For example, 35% of fluid milk was used in plain 2% milk, and 1% of fluid milk was used in eggnog and buttermilk.

This milk data is well represented in a pie chart since there are a small number of categories (types of milk) that can be modeled as a portion of a whole (total amount of milk).

Say the pie chart above represents the breakdown of 100 gallons of milk. Create a 2-column table that lists the type of milk in the first column and the number of gallons of each type of milk in the second column. Show Answer Type of Milk Number of Gallons Plain 2% 35 Plain 1% 14 Skim 14 Plain Whole 27 Flavored 9 Eggnog and Buttermilk 1 If there are 100 gallons of milk, and 27% of that milk is whole milk, then 27 gallons is whole milk. If 14% of the milk is skim milk, 14 percent of 100 gallons is 14 gallons, and so on.

Making a Pie Chart

Pie charts are good for showing how the size of one part relates to the whole.

To make a pie chart, separate the data into components. In the pie chart above, the data is about all fluid milk in the U.S., and the categories are plain 2% milk, plain whole milk, plain 1% milk, skim milk, flavored milk, and eggnog and buttermilk. Next, determine the ratio or percentage that each component takes up out of the whole. The total sum of percentages should sum to 100%. Divide the circle into proportional sectors. If a particular component made up 25% of the whole, a quarter of the circle would represent that component. Color is often used to differentiate sectors.

Good practices for making pie charts: Title the chart. Use labels to denote categories. If ratios are unclear, label sectors with the percentages they represent. Use different colors for each sector. Don't repeat colors. Use accurate sizing when making sectors. For example, a sector representing 50% of the whole should take up exactly half of the circle. Make sure that the number of slices is small enough that the reader can make sense of the chart.
What is wrong with this pie chart? source: wikipedia Show Answer This pie chart has too many sectors. It is hard to see how sectors compare with one another.
What could be improved about this pie chart? This pie chart describes the distribution of native English speakers by country. source: wikipedia Show Answer This pie chart could benefit from a descriptive title, and it might be helpful to include labels for the percentages of each sector as the “Canada,” “Other,” and “Australia” sectors look roughly the same size.

What food group has about the same daily calories per capita as grain products?

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Create a Pie Chart Graphic in PowerPoint

Pie charts show proportions of the whole

  • Brock University

In This Article

Jump to a Section

  • Create a Pie Chart
  • Choose a Style

The Generic Pie Chart and Data

  • Edit the Data
  • The Updated Pie Chart

Create a pie chart in PowerPoint to visually demonstrate proportions of a whole. After you've created the basic chart, adjust the chart's data, alter its style, and update it on the fly.

Information in this article applies to PowerPoint 2019, 2016, and 2013; PowerPoint for Microsoft 365; and PowerPoint for Mac.

Create a Pie Chart in PowerPoint

Begin by adding a new slide  using the  Title and Content  slide layout. Then, select the  Insert Chart  icon (it's the middle icon on the top row of the group of six icons shown in the body of the slide layout).

Another way to add a pie chart is to choose a blank slide in your presentation and select Insert  >  Chart .

Choose a Pie Chart Style

In the Insert Chart dialog box, select Pie and choose a pie chart style. There are several style of pie charts. Options include flat pie shapes, 3D pie shapes, and pie charts with  exploded pieces . Select OK  after you have made your selection.

The pie chart styles and colors can be changed after the chart is created.

When you create a pie chart on a PowerPoint slide, the basic chart appears on the slide and the chart data appears in a worksheet window.

If you don't see the worksheet window, select the chart and select Chart Tools Design > Edit Data .

You'll use the worksheet window to enter data for the pie chart by replacing the default data.

Edit the Pie Chart Data

Pie charts display comparative types of data, such as percentage figures for how much each of your monthly household expenses takes from your income. However, pie charts display one type of data, unlike column charts or line charts.

To edit the data in the worksheet window:

Select the worksheet window to make it the active window.

Edit the heading of the  column  in the generic data to reflect your own information.

Edit the row headings in the generic data to reflect your own information. The chart updates to reflect your changes.

To add new data rows, drag a corner handle of the highlighted data set.

Updated Pie Chart Reflects New Data

After you change the generic data to your own specific data, the information is immediately reflected in the pie chart. Add a title for your slide into the text  placeholder  at the top of the slide.

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[Updated 2023] 20 Pie Chart Templates to Draw Intuitive Comparisons

presentation for pie graph

Nawsheen Muzamil

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We all understand that effective communication is essential for success, but have you ever considered how graphical, or infographic data may be used as a communication tool? Yes, it sounds exciting to note that communicating while sharing data is one of the most common business practices.

You understand sales, expenses, revenues etc. while using graphics like pie charts or any other visual. Pie charts are frequently used to show proportions among various categories, including expenses, demographic groups, and survey results, in business presentations and education. It enables the viewer to swiftly absorb information or perform an immediate analysis by allowing them to compare facts easily.

Pie charts' key advantage is that they are simple to understand. They make it easy to compare data quickly and simplify complex data efficiently.

 Another advantage of pie chart is its ability to present facts into a concise manner that may be used as a component of a bigger narrative. Additionally, a pie chart can be used to assess corporate growth in areas like revenue, benefits, and exposure.

Use our pre-made pie chart presentation templates for summarizing your long data adequately and understandably.

Template 1 – Comparison Pie Chart Arrangement Residential Industry Agriculture Branding Web Design 

This is a content-ready PowerPoint template for businesses looking to present complex data in a visually appealing and easily digestible format. With our irresistible pie chart templates, showcase sales figures, market share, budget allocations, and more. These dynamic visuals captivate your audience's attention and provide instant insights at a glance. Our pie chart templates empower you to simplify complex information, make informed decisions, and effectively communicate your business's performance. Get ready to slice through the noise and present your data with confidence, clarity, and impact. It's time to let your numbers tell a compelling story with our ready to use pie chart templates.

Comparison Pie Chart

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Template 2 – 3D Graphs Business Bar Chart and Pie Chart with Icons

Knowing about the growth and lows of the business is essential. Many of us fail to estimate it as some days we are not equipped with accurate data. However, there are no more worries about it as we have come up with new Pie chart template to allow you to manage your data and statistics properly. This comparison pie chart explains the sales of the product and services along to enhance the position of the business ahead.

3d Graphs Business Bar Chart & Pie Chart with Icons

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Template 3 – Donut Pie Chart Presentation Layouts 

Who doesn’t want to divide the work as per the need and time but often times fails to do so because of many tasks over loaded? Here we provide a quick fix to your schedule by launching Donut Pie Chart. SlideTeam's Donut Pie Chart assist in managing and presenting the data in a systematic order and nuanced way for a better understanding of the data. This Donut Pie Chart also allows you to segregate your product and its functionality based on percentage.

Donut Pie Chart

Template 4 – Three Divisions Pie Chart with Symbols

Cluttered data makes it complicated to understand the basis of any company and its objectives. Therefore, declutter your data and surround it with clarity with our amazingly built Pie chart slides. This Pie chart is actively designed to achieve all your goals and requirements for the company as  we have designed our Pie chart templates divided into three segments to generate responses based on products and services delivered. This Pie Chart templates showcases customer success, customer insights, and user experience to make room for improvement and better performance.

Three Divisions Pie Chart With Symbols

Template 5 – Drill Down Bar Graph to Pie Chart 

This template acts a double advantaged weapon to understand the data accurately in the form of graphs as well as in Pie Chart Format. Business professionals can use this template to illustrate about their project KPIs along with that they can track down their growth as well as communicate their insights with the stakeholders respectively.

Drill Down Bar Graph To Pie Chart

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Template 6 – Multiple Pie Charts PowerPoint Template

This Pie chart template can be used to cover a variety of subjects. You can display your product market shares through the pie chart sales slide to promote your marketing expenses while quarterly showing the percentage to encourage growth. This PPT slideshow encourages strategic thinking and aids in the most effective delivery of your message.

Multiple Pie Charts

Template 7 – Pie Charts Sales PowerPoint Template

Having statistical data for better organization of data and values turns fruitful for growth, so to teach all in one, we have designed a combined pie chart consisting of statistics plan for your monthly sales analysis, sales pie chart, region-wise pie chart, and product comparison along with it. All you must do is get this Pie Chart Sales Templates to escalate your growth right now.

Pie Chart Sales

Template 8 – Business Disaster Risk Cause Pie Chart 

The business know-how is always essential to understand. Therefore, SlideTeam brings you ready to use PowerPoint templates to help you create an evaluation strategy to minimize and manage the disaster and risks. It primarily consists of hardware, ransomware, human mistakes, and software failures. Deploy our collection of slides for the Business Disaster Risk Cause Pie Chart to safeguard your operations.

Business disaster risk cause pie chart

Template 9 – Pie Chart Assets Valuation Report Branding PowerPoint Slide Presentation

Use this Donut Pie Chart to understand different department of your company effectively while studying the statics of specific department. This Donut Pie chart helps you to comprehend and contemplate multiple aspects of growth. Get this Ppt template to speed up your business . 

Pie chart

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Template 10 – Software Budget Spend Pie Chart by Technology Start-ups.

It's essential to keep a note of your spending as it formulates and guides us for better savings and investments ahead. A company must undergo an assessment phase to review the network and related systems to produce lucrative results. To provide a proper mechanism, we have designed our software budget spend pie chart to organize and present the data appropriately in one place.

Software Budget Spend Pie Chart by Technology Start Ups

Download Here

Template 11 – Human Resource Budget Breakdown Pie Chart 

The HR budget is broken down by category on the slide to simplify identifying the main costs and areas for improvement. It has sections for pay and benefits, training and development, incentives, rewards, diversity & Inclusions etc. This Pie Chart Template assist to highlight the key insights about the budget allocation, employee management programmes while focusing on the learning and development aspects of the company.

Human Resource Budget Breakdown Pie Chart

Template 12 – Warehouse Inventory Carrying Cost Pie Chart 

You can choose when to modify your inventory management methods if you understand carrying cost definitions and components. This pie chart illustrates the various carrying costs of managing warehouse inventory. Expenses related to insurance, taxes, surveys, wages, store storage, shrinkage, etc., are included. Therefore, download this Content – ready PPT Template to keep tabs on your budget and expenditure to streamline your operations 

Warehouse Inventory Carrying Cost Pie chart

Template 13: Editable Pie Chart of Marketing Expenses Template. 

Marketing is yet another essential thing for running a business. To enable appropriate marketing practises while managing the budget is crucial. Here at SlideTeam we bring you with our latest build uniquely designed Pie chart for managing marketing expenses. It showcases not only the record about the events and campaigns to understanding the parameters of success but also offer other marketing expenses.  

Editable Pie Chart of Marketing Expenses Split

Download here!

Template 14 – Business Expense Budget Allocation Pie Chart 

Business revenue and expenses formulate the growth of the business. To keep track of all your budget expenses and allow proper allocation of the financial expectation, we have developed this budget comparison pie chart to enable you to determine the salaries, taxes, hiring, marketing, etc. We are introducing our set of slides, which includes a pie chart showing the distribution of the business expense budget. This displays data on a particular process stage. This PowerPoint template is creatively created and simple to alter. 

Business expense budget allocation pie chart

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Template 15 – Data Visualization for Website Visits Using a Creative Pie Chart 

These data visualization pie charts is formerly designed to narrate growth and success while making it easier to understand by highlighting the trends. Use this ready – made PowerPoint Template and highlight marketing channels that’s stands valuable for your business. Display your growth percentage and outline the next strategic steps to reach audience as it showcases results that comprehends the socials, referrals, traffic, etc.

Data Visualization for Website Visits Using Creative Pie Chart

Template 16 – Pie Chart Professional Graphics Template

Use this pie chart template compare the performances of various departments in your company. You can visualize expenses with this PPT slide and calculate profit percentages. This slide shows the profit margin from three separate outlays and the associated sales.

Pie Chart

Template 17 – Pie Chart PowerPoint Template 

Here is another template for a multi-set pie chart that allows you to compare any three key characteristics or variables of the object of your observation. With this PPT design, theoretical or computed shares can be displayed with 100% serving as the maximum value for each attribute. Additionally, it is self-explanatory, thanks to the icons, colors, and labels.

Pie Chart

Template 18 – Pie Chart PowerPoint Slide.

This comparison pie chart lets you understand the status and ratio of product sales while allowing you to have monthly data. You can visualize expenses with this PPT slide and calculate profit percentages. This slide shows the profit margin from three separate outlays and the associated sales. Get this Pre- designed Ppt template to raise your business scale. 

Pie Chart

Template 19 – Pie chart ppt PowerPoint Template 

Here is yet another popular PowerPoint template for delivering yearly reports. To show proportions, use this template for a donut pie chart. The segment proportions that can be further described in the labels are determined by the percentage numbers.

Pie Chart

Template 20 – Business Marketing Team Expense Distribution Pie chart 

The distribution of various marketing costs is shown on the slide to plan spending and account for unforeseen circumstances. It comprises spending categories: salaries, equipment, office costs, learning and development, marketing channels, etc. We are introducing our premium collection of slides featuring a pie chart showing the distribution of business marketing team expenses. Use this PPT slide to elucidate the one stage and convey information. 

Business marketing team expense distribution pie chart

Excel Your Presentation with These Colorful Pie Charts 

Pie charts offer a lot of detail as they give a quick overview of a data set. Pie charts can be expanded to include more information by using numbers (such as percentages) in each segment or having a separate table as a resource. When the data content is vast, it can be challenging to compare different pie slices. Therefore, SlideTeam offers you to get your hands on their pre-designed Pie Charts that allow you to limit your trouble and escalate success. Pie charts are still typical graphics that most people can understand as they are still excellent at doing what they were designed: quickly selling a part-to-whole comparison goal.

FAQS on Pie Chart 

What is called a pie chart.

A pie chart uses a circular graph to display data visually. It is one of the most famous graphs used to depict data because it uses the characteristics of spheres, circles, and angular data to represent information from the actual world. A pie chart is circular, with the Pie representing all of the data and the slice representing everything.

How is the pie chart calculated?

Measure the angle of each slice, divide it by 360, and then multiply the result by 100 to determine the percentage each piece is worth. Multiply the rate each portion is worth by the total number of data sets to get the number of data points each slice represents.

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Pie Chart Infographics

Free google slides theme, powerpoint template, and canva presentation template.

Pie charts are powerful visual tools, and you can use them to represent and compare percentages or proportions. They are useful when presenting data about your company, when describing your buyer persona, or even for medical or educational topics. They look like pies or even donuts, and each element represents a slice. Yummy!

Features of these infographics

  • Circular infographics and chart visualizations
  • 100% editable and easy to modify
  • 31 different infographics to boost your presentations
  • Include icons and Flaticon’s extension for further customization
  • Designed to be used in Google Slides, Canva, and Microsoft PowerPoint and Keynote
  • 16:9 widescreen format suitable for all types of screens
  • Include information about how to edit and customize your infographics

How can I use the infographics?

Am I free to use the templates?

How to attribute the infographics?

Attribution required If you are a free user, you must attribute Slidesgo by keeping the slide where the credits appear. How to attribute?

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A complete guide to pie charts

Posted by: mike yi.

Despite often being maligned, the pie chart remains a very commonly-seen chart type. In this article, you will learn how to best use this frequently-misused chart type.

What is a pie chart?

A pie chart shows how a total amount is divided between levels of a categorical variable as a circle divided into radial slices. Each categorical value corresponds with a single slice of the circle, and the size of each slice (both in area and arc length) indicates what proportion of the whole each category level takes.

Basic pie chart: vote distribution by candidate

The pie chart above depicts the distribution of votes for a fictional election for a small city. We can see that Reyes, represented by the first blue slice, has just less than half of the votes. Chu (yellow) is in second, with about a third of the votes, while Williams (purple) is last, with about a fifth of the votes. The annotations in the upper right give us a more precise judgment of the proportions, but the pie chart tells the overarching story of where the votes fell.

When you should use a pie chart

Pie charts have a fairly narrow use-case that is encapsulated particularly well by its definition. In order to use a pie chart, you must have some kind of whole amount that is divided into a number of distinct parts. Your primary objective in a pie chart should be to compare each group’s contribution to the whole, as opposed to comparing groups to each other. If the above points are not satisfied, the pie chart is not appropriate, and a different plot type should be used instead.

The values that comprise a whole and the categories that divide the whole generally come in two major varieties. First of all, is when the ‘whole’ represents a total count. Examples of this include votes in an election divided by candidate, or number of transactions divided by user type (e.g. guest, new user, existing user).

A second type of ‘whole’ is when the total is a sum over an actual data variable. For example, we might be interested not in the number of transactions, but the monetary total from all transactions. Dividing this total by an attribute like user type, age bracket, or location might provide insights as to where the business is most successful.

Basic pie chart: revenue distribution by region

Example of data structure

Data for a pie chart can be summarized in a table like the above, where the first column indicates a category, and the second the proportion, frequency, or amount of that category. Usually, the total does not need to be specified separately unless it is to be listed somewhere else on a generated figure. Alternatively, some tools can just work with the unaggregated data as in the below table, essentially performing the aggregation into the table above at time of pie chart creation.

Unaggregated data for pie chart: transactions with region and amount columns

Best practices for using a pie chart

Include annotations.

It is actually very difficult to discern exact proportions from pie charts, outside of small fractions like 1/2 (50%), 1/3 (33%), and 1/4 (25%). Furthermore, if the slice values are meant to depict amounts rather than proportions, pie charts typically lack the tick marks to allow for estimation of values directly from slice sizes. It is for these reasons that annotations are a standard inclusion for pie charts.

Consider the order of slices

A good order for slices can make it much easier for a reader to understand what the plot is saying. A typical ordering goes from the largest slice to the smallest slice, very useful when there are categories with very similar values. However, if the category levels have an inherent ordering, then plotting slices in that order is usually better.

As for choosing a start point, it’s a good idea to plot slices from a cardinally-oriented direction. Visualization tools will usually start from the right or from the top. While starting from the right has a mathematical basis regarding conventions on measuring angles, starting from the top feels more intuitive, since it matches how we read from top to bottom, and how we think about progression of time on a clock or watch face.

Pie chart with slices sorted from strongly agree to strongly disagree

We do not sort by size here since the labels are meaningful.

Limit the number of pie slices

Pie charts with a large number of slices can be difficult to read. It can be difficult to see the smallest slices, and it can be difficult to choose enough colors to make all of the slices distinct. Recommendations vary, but if you have more than about five categories, you might want to think about using a different chart type. As another option, you might consider lumping small slices into a single ‘other’ slice, colored in a neutral gray.

Pie chart with lots of small slices, then gathered into a single 'other' category

Avoid distorting effects

Reading a pie chart accurately requires that the slices’ areas, arc lengths, and angles all point to an accurate representation of the data. While avoiding 3-d effects is a good idea for any plot, it is especially important for pie charts. Squashing or stretching the circle or adding unnecessary depth can easily distort how large each slice compares to the whole.

Another distortion can come from the ‘exploded’ pie chart, where slices are pulled out from the center for emphasis. This emphasis comes with a cost, where the gaps can make it more difficult to actually gauge the part-to-whole comparison.

Comparison of standard pie chart to a pie chart with 3d effects and exploded slice

Common misuses

Fitting a pie to incompatible data.

One of the most common mistakes with using a pie chart is to fit it to data that does not represent a parts-to-whole comparison. This confusion occurs most often when the values to be plotted are percentages or proportions, but don’t comprise a complete whole. The example below shows how frequently the people surveyed used each of four applications, but since many people used multiple apps, the proportions sum to much more than 100%.

Improper use of pie chart: slices add up to more than 100%

Another tricky case is if the values used for each group are a summary statistic that is not a total. The chart below was built on the average transaction amount for multiple transaction types. However, since it ignores how frequently each transaction type was used, it distorts how much revenue is coming in from each type. While checks have the highest average, they might also be fairly rare in use. In both cases, a bar chart is an appropriate chart type to use.

Improper use of pie chart: sum of averages is not the average of the total

Using pie charts to compare groups to one another

If you want to make comparisons between groups rather than from each group to the whole, then you are better off with a different chart type. Even when sorting slices by size, it can be difficult to tell how different two slices are, especially when they move away from the start / end point. In the below example, you might assume that the second slice is larger than the third due to order, but the corresponding bar chart actually shows the opposite. The main thing that you can really say from the pie chart is that both slices are approximately the same proportions from the whole.

Deceptive pie chart: two slices look similar in size but are not sorted in order of size

Comparing values across multiple pie charts

There may be cases where you will want to compare multiple pies to one another: for example, comparing user demographic distribution across multiple years. However, this runs into a similar issue as the previous section, where you want to compare groups to one another. Even worse, it’s a comparison between pies, so you can’t rely on the order of slices as easily for the comparison. Expressing the data using a different plot, like  stacked bar chart , grouped bar chart, or  line chart , is often a better choice when this kind of group-to-group comparison is desired. Like with actual pies, pie charts are best taken one at a time.

Comparing two pies on relative sizes can hide important information about absolute values

Comparison of the pies may imply a shrinking of the older age groups by proportion, but the grouped bar chart demonstrates a growth in the younger groups.

Common pie chart options

Absolute frequency vs. relative frequency.

Pie charts can be labeled in terms of absolute values or by proportions. Labeling slices with absolute amounts and implying the proportions with the slice sizes is conventional, but consider the goals of your visualization carefully in order to decide on the best annotation style to use for your plot. In some cases, including both numbers in the annotations can be worth the additional text.

Pie chart with annotations for both absolute value and relative proportion

Doughnut plot

A doughnut plot (aka donut plot) is simply a pie chart with a central circle removed. For the most part, there  aren’t significant differences in readability  between a pie chart and donut chart, so the choice of a doughnut over a standard circle is mostly that of aesthetic. One small boon for the ring shape is that the central area can be used for additional information or to report statistics.

Doughnut plot with summary metric for NPS in central hole

Related plots

The biggest competition for the pie chart comes from the  bar chart . Most of the time, you won’t want to use a pie chart – rather, a bar chart will get across the points more compactly and clearly. Many of the issues with pie charts are  solved through the use of a bar chart . However, bar charts do not immediately sell the part-to-whole comparison, which is pie chart’s major benefit.

Side-by-side comparison of frequency bar chart and pie chart

Stacked bar chart

On the other hand, the  stacked bar chart  type can prove to be a strong rival to the pie chart in its ability to communicate a part-to-whole comparison. A single stacked bar can be thought of as a pie chart’s slices rolled out into a rectangular form. The rectangular form also makes it easier to compare categorical breakdowns across different groups. However, pie charts still have an advantage in  familiarity and aesthetics , so they’re still worth having in mind for the part-to-whole comparison use case.

Example stacked bar for responses from strongly disagree to strongly agree

Waffle chart

Another alternative to the pie chart is the waffle chart, also known as a square chart or square pie. A waffle chart comprises 100 icons, typically squares laid out in a 10 x 10 grid. Each icon represents 1% of the data, and the icons are colored based on the categorical distribution of the data. While there will need to be some rounding of category amounts to fit the plot structure – never split icons in this plot – it can be a way of making the relative proportions for each category easier to read.

Example waffle chart depicting proportional vote outcomes

Visualization tools

Most visualization tools will be able to create pie charts, despite their limited use case. Donut charts are somewhat less common, but there aren’t a whole lot of cases where they’re truly needed over pie charts. Despite the fact that pie charts have fallen out of favor for most visualization needs, it is important to recognize that they are a common chart that people generally know how to read. Pie charts are still great at their ideal job: immediately selling a part-to-whole comparison objective.

The pie chart is one of many different chart types that can be used for visualizing data. Learn more from our articles on  essential chart types ,  how to choose a type of data visualization , or by browsing the full collection of  articles in the charts category .

  • Insert a pie chart Video
  • Customize a pie chart Video
  • Insert a linked Excel pie chart Video

presentation for pie graph

Insert a pie chart

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Quickly add a pie chart to your presentation, and see how to arrange the data to get the result you want. Customize chart elements, apply a chart style and colors, and insert a linked Excel chart.

Add a pie chart to a presentation in PowerPoint

Use a pie chart to show the size of each item in a data series, proportional to the sum of the items. When you need a pie chart in a presentation, use PowerPoint to create it or, if you prefer, create the chart in Excel, and copy it into PowerPoint (see Copy an Excel chart to another Office program ). Here’s how:

Click INSERT > Chart .

Click the chart type, and then double-click the chart you want. For help deciding which chart is best for your data, see Available chart types .

In the spreadsheet that appears, replace the default data with your own information.

When you have finished, close the spreadsheet.

Change the format of data labels in a chart

Copy an Excel chart to another Office program

Use a pie chart to show the size of each item in a data series, proportional to the sum of the items.

In this pie chart, the data series consists of Sales Order Amounts.

Each Salesperson’s total is shown as a percentage of Total Orders.

The categories for the data are the Salespeople themselves, and the legend shows their Names, color-coded to their slices in the pie.

PowerPoint has great charting tools for creating a pie chart, which typically shows simple, straightforward data.

If, however, you prefer creating charts in Excel, create the pie chart there, and copy it into PowerPoint, keeping a link to the original, if you want.

We cover this in Movie 3: Insert a linked Excel pie chart.

To create a pie chart in PowerPoint, on the HOME tab, click the arrow next to New Slide , and Blank to insert a blank slide.

Then click INSERT , Chart , and choose Pie .

The default chart is a standard pie chart. I’ll point to it for a larger preview.

That’s what I want, so I’ll click OK .

The chart is inserted, and a small window, with placeholder data, appears. We’ll type our data here.

So, we can see the chart better. I’ll resize the window by pointing to an edge and dragging the two-headed arrow cursor.

We’ll start by typing the Names of the Salespeople, which go in the category column, where Quarters appear by default.

I’ll click the first cell and type: Briggs, then Dyer, Rose, and all the names. Then, I press Enter.

The Names appear as the legend in the chart.

We’ll type our data, the individual Order Amounts, in the next column.

To start, let’s change the heading to Order Amounts, and press Enter.

To make the B column look right in the data window, I’ll point to its edge and double-click.

That widens the cell to fit the heading.

Note that, in the chart, the title reflects the new heading.

Next, we’ll type in the Sales data, which determines how the pie is divided.

For Briggs, I’ll type the Order Amount, and press Enter.

Then I do the same with the others. For Dyer, it’s 1963. The chart updates as I add data.

I have typed in the Order Amount for each Salesperson, and the pie is divided accordingly.

Since I am finished adding data, I’ll click X to close the data window.

Up next: Customize a pie chart .

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Explore our diverse selection of 29 Pie Charts, thoughtfully designed to enrich your PowerPoint and Google Slides presentations. These eye-catching, data-driven charts provide a powerful way to represent proportions and percentages, helping your audience to quickly grasp the relationships between different data segments.

Pie charts are ideal for illustrating the composition of a whole, revealing the distribution of individual parts, or comparing the shares of various categories. They are applicable in numerous situations, such as market share analysis, budget allocation, customer segmentation, or resource management. In your presentation slides, they will bring focus and visual interest to your data, supporting your main points and enhancing your narrative.

Our collection features a wide range of designs, layouts, and color schemes to fit your unique needs. Personalize these flexible templates to harmonize with your brand identity and presentation theme, achieving a professional and cohesive look.

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Pie Chart in PowerPoint

A colorful pie chart with multiple slices

Pie charts are a popular and effective way of presenting data in a visual and easily digestible manner. They are commonly used in business presentations, academic papers, and research reports to help convey complex data in a simplified format. Microsoft PowerPoint is a popular and widely-used tool for creating and presenting such data. In this guide, we will provide you with a step-by-step process on how to create an appealing and professional-looking pie chart in PowerPoint, as well as some tips and tricks for formatting, customizing, and presenting your chart.

Table of Contents

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Pie Chart in PowerPoint

Follow these simple steps to create a pie chart in PowerPoint:

  • Open your PowerPoint presentation and navigate to the slide where you want to insert the pie chart.
  • Click on the “Insert” tab on the top menu and select “Chart”.
  • A new window will appear where you can select the type of chart you want to create. Click on the “Pie” chart option.
  • Enter your data into the Excel spreadsheet that appears. Each data point will correspond to a slice of the pie chart. You can also add labels to each data point in the adjacent column.
  • Customize the appearance of your chart by selecting the “Chart Design” and “Chart Format” tabs.
  • Once you are satisfied with your chart, click “Close” to return to your slide.
  • You can now move, resize, and adjust your chart as you see fit.

Understanding the Basics of Pie Charts in PowerPoint

Pie charts are circular charts divided into segments, each representing a proportion of the whole. The entire circle represents 100%, while each segment represents a percentage or fraction of the total. The segments are labeled to show what category they belong to and what percentage of the whole they represent. Pie charts are useful for illustrating how much of a category is represented in a whole and for comparisons between categories. They are particularly useful when you want to show how a particular category or group is performing in a larger data set.

It is important to note that while pie charts can be visually appealing and easy to understand, they can also be misleading if not used properly. For example, if the segments are not labeled clearly or if the data is not accurate, the chart can give a false impression of the data. It is also important to consider using other types of charts, such as bar graphs or line graphs, depending on the type of data being presented. When creating a pie chart in PowerPoint, be sure to double-check your data and labels to ensure accuracy and clarity.

Choosing the Right Data for Your Pie Chart

To create a pie chart in PowerPoint, you need to have data that can be represented as a percentage or a fraction of a whole. This data needs to have a clear and concise category or group designation, as the chart is designed to compare different categories against each other. The data you choose should also be relevant to the point you are trying to make and should be easy to understand for your audience. It is recommended to have between 3 and 7 categories or groups in a pie chart to keep it simple and easy to interpret.

When selecting data for your pie chart, it is important to consider the source of the data and its accuracy. Using unreliable or outdated data can lead to incorrect conclusions and misinterpretations. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the data is presented in a clear and organized manner within the chart, with each category or group clearly labeled and easily distinguishable from the others. By carefully selecting and presenting your data, you can create a pie chart that effectively communicates your message to your audience.

Tips for Formatting Your Pie Chart in PowerPoint

When formatting your pie chart, it is important to keep a few things in mind:

  • Keep the chart simple and easy to read – use different colors or patterns to differentiate between slices, but do not go overboard with too many.
  • Make sure the labels are easily readable – use a simple font that is large enough and easy to read from a distance.
  • Add a title and subtitle to the chart – this will let your audience know what they are looking at and provide context for the data.
  • Adjust the size and style of your chart to fit with the overall look and feel of your presentation.
  • Use an appropriate chart type – while pie charts are great for showing proportions, if your data includes negative values or a wide range of values, a different chart type may be more appropriate.

Another important aspect to consider when formatting your pie chart is the use of data labels. Data labels can be used to display the exact values of each slice, making it easier for your audience to understand the data. However, if your chart has too many slices, the labels can become cluttered and difficult to read. In this case, you may want to consider using a legend instead.

Finally, it is important to remember that your pie chart should be visually appealing and engaging. Consider using a color scheme that is consistent with your brand or presentation theme, and experiment with different chart styles and layouts to find the one that works best for your data. By taking the time to format your pie chart properly, you can create a powerful visual aid that will help you communicate your message effectively to your audience.

Customizing Colors and Labels for Your Pie Chart

Customizing the colors and labels of your pie chart can help make it more visually appealing and easier to understand. You can customize the colors by choosing from predefined color schemes or by setting your own custom colors. Similarly, you can customize the labels by choosing where they are placed, how they are oriented, and what information they contain. For example, you may want to include the percentage value for each slice, or you may want to include additional information about each category or group.

Adding Animations and Transitions to Your Pie Chart in PowerPoint

PowerPoint allows you to add animations and transitions to your pie chart to make it more engaging and dynamic. You can add animations to each slice to make it appear as though it is “popping out” from the chart, or you can add a fade-in or fly-in effect to make the chart appear on the slide in a more visually pleasing manner. Transitions can also be added between slides to create a more seamless and cohesive presentation.

How to Create Multiple Pie Charts on One Slide

If you want to show multiple pie charts on one slide, you have a few options:

  • Create separate charts and place them side by side on the same slide
  • Create one large pie chart with sub-categories shown in separate rings or concentric circles
  • Create a stacked or “exploded” pie chart where each slice is divided into smaller segments for further comparison

Using SmartArt to Create Complex Pie Charts in PowerPoint

SmartArt is a powerful tool in PowerPoint that allows you to create complex pie charts with multiple series, categories, and subcategories. SmartArt templates can be fully customized to fit your specific data and presentation needs, and are a useful way to create dynamic and interactive presentations.

Troubleshooting Common Issues with Pie Charts in PowerPoint

Some common issues that users may experience when creating pie charts in PowerPoint include:

  • Data is not entered correctly or does not add up to 100%.
  • The chart is difficult to read or distinguish between categories.
  • The labels are too small or difficult to read.
  • The chart is too large or too small for the slide or presentation format.

To troubleshoot these issues, make sure that you have entered your data correctly, chosen appropriate colors and labels, and adjusted the size and formatting of your chart as needed.

Best Practices for Presenting Your Pie Chart in a Slideshow

When presenting your pie chart in a slideshow, it is important to keep your audience engaged and focused. Consider the following tips:

  • Start with a clear and concise title slide that sets the tone and context for the presentation.
  • Prioritize your data and focus on the most important information first.
  • Take time to explain what the chart is showing and what the data means in the context of the presentation.
  • Use animations or transitions to add visual interest and keep your audience engaged.
  • End with a summary slide that emphasizes the key takeaways from the presentation.

Alternatives to Using a Pie Chart in PowerPoint

While pie charts are a popular way of presenting data in PowerPoint, there are other chart types that may be more suitable depending on the nature of your data. Alternatives to pie charts include bar charts, line charts, scatter charts, and more. Be sure to choose a chart type that accurately and effectively communicates the data and message you are trying to convey.

Examples of Effective Pie Charts in Business Presentations

Pie charts can be a highly effective way of presenting business data in a clear and concise manner. Some examples of business data that can be presented using a pie chart include:

  • Market share data
  • Revenue or profit data
  • Budget breakdowns
  • Team or departmental goals and achievements

Incorporating Data Labels and Callouts into Your Pie Chart

Data labels and callouts can be a useful way of drawing attention to specific data points or categories in your pie chart. Data labels can be added to show the percentage or values for each slice, while callouts can be used to provide additional information or context. Be sure to keep these elements clear and concise, and avoid cluttering your chart with too many labels or callouts.

How to Export and Share Your Pie Chart from PowerPoint

Once you have created your pie chart in PowerPoint, you can easily export and share it with others. To do this, simply save your PowerPoint presentation as a PDF or image file. This will allow you to share the chart with others who may not have access to PowerPoint or who may not be able to view the presentation in its original format.

In conclusion, creating a pie chart in PowerPoint can be a simple and effective way of presenting data in a visual and easy-to-understand format. By following the steps outlined above and customizing your chart to fit your specific message and audience, you can create an effective and engaging presentation that is sure to impress.

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Home Blog Design Understanding Data Presentations (Guide + Examples)

Understanding Data Presentations (Guide + Examples)

Cover for guide on data presentation by SlideModel

In this age of overwhelming information, the skill to effectively convey data has become extremely valuable. Initiating a discussion on data presentation types involves thoughtful consideration of the nature of your data and the message you aim to convey. Different types of visualizations serve distinct purposes. Whether you’re dealing with how to develop a report or simply trying to communicate complex information, how you present data influences how well your audience understands and engages with it. This extensive guide leads you through the different ways of data presentation.

Table of Contents

What is a Data Presentation?

What should a data presentation include, line graphs, treemap chart, scatter plot, how to choose a data presentation type, recommended data presentation templates, common mistakes done in data presentation.

A data presentation is a slide deck that aims to disclose quantitative information to an audience through the use of visual formats and narrative techniques derived from data analysis, making complex data understandable and actionable. This process requires a series of tools, such as charts, graphs, tables, infographics, dashboards, and so on, supported by concise textual explanations to improve understanding and boost retention rate.

Data presentations require us to cull data in a format that allows the presenter to highlight trends, patterns, and insights so that the audience can act upon the shared information. In a few words, the goal of data presentations is to enable viewers to grasp complicated concepts or trends quickly, facilitating informed decision-making or deeper analysis.

Data presentations go beyond the mere usage of graphical elements. Seasoned presenters encompass visuals with the art of data storytelling , so the speech skillfully connects the points through a narrative that resonates with the audience. Depending on the purpose – inspire, persuade, inform, support decision-making processes, etc. – is the data presentation format that is better suited to help us in this journey.

To nail your upcoming data presentation, ensure to count with the following elements:

  • Clear Objectives: Understand the intent of your presentation before selecting the graphical layout and metaphors to make content easier to grasp.
  • Engaging introduction: Use a powerful hook from the get-go. For instance, you can ask a big question or present a problem that your data will answer. Take a look at our guide on how to start a presentation for tips & insights.
  • Structured Narrative: Your data presentation must tell a coherent story. This means a beginning where you present the context, a middle section in which you present the data, and an ending that uses a call-to-action. Check our guide on presentation structure for further information.
  • Visual Elements: These are the charts, graphs, and other elements of visual communication we ought to use to present data. This article will cover one by one the different types of data representation methods we can use, and provide further guidance on choosing between them.
  • Insights and Analysis: This is not just showcasing a graph and letting people get an idea about it. A proper data presentation includes the interpretation of that data, the reason why it’s included, and why it matters to your research.
  • Conclusion & CTA: Ending your presentation with a call to action is necessary. Whether you intend to wow your audience into acquiring your services, inspire them to change the world, or whatever the purpose of your presentation, there must be a stage in which you convey all that you shared and show the path to staying in touch. Plan ahead whether you want to use a thank-you slide, a video presentation, or which method is apt and tailored to the kind of presentation you deliver.
  • Q&A Session: After your speech is concluded, allocate 3-5 minutes for the audience to raise any questions about the information you disclosed. This is an extra chance to establish your authority on the topic. Check our guide on questions and answer sessions in presentations here.

Bar charts are a graphical representation of data using rectangular bars to show quantities or frequencies in an established category. They make it easy for readers to spot patterns or trends. Bar charts can be horizontal or vertical, although the vertical format is commonly known as a column chart. They display categorical, discrete, or continuous variables grouped in class intervals [1] . They include an axis and a set of labeled bars horizontally or vertically. These bars represent the frequencies of variable values or the values themselves. Numbers on the y-axis of a vertical bar chart or the x-axis of a horizontal bar chart are called the scale.

Presentation of the data through bar charts

Real-Life Application of Bar Charts

Let’s say a sales manager is presenting sales to their audience. Using a bar chart, he follows these steps.

Step 1: Selecting Data

The first step is to identify the specific data you will present to your audience.

The sales manager has highlighted these products for the presentation.

  • Product A: Men’s Shoes
  • Product B: Women’s Apparel
  • Product C: Electronics
  • Product D: Home Decor

Step 2: Choosing Orientation

Opt for a vertical layout for simplicity. Vertical bar charts help compare different categories in case there are not too many categories [1] . They can also help show different trends. A vertical bar chart is used where each bar represents one of the four chosen products. After plotting the data, it is seen that the height of each bar directly represents the sales performance of the respective product.

It is visible that the tallest bar (Electronics – Product C) is showing the highest sales. However, the shorter bars (Women’s Apparel – Product B and Home Decor – Product D) need attention. It indicates areas that require further analysis or strategies for improvement.

Step 3: Colorful Insights

Different colors are used to differentiate each product. It is essential to show a color-coded chart where the audience can distinguish between products.

  • Men’s Shoes (Product A): Yellow
  • Women’s Apparel (Product B): Orange
  • Electronics (Product C): Violet
  • Home Decor (Product D): Blue

Accurate bar chart representation of data with a color coded legend

Bar charts are straightforward and easily understandable for presenting data. They are versatile when comparing products or any categorical data [2] . Bar charts adapt seamlessly to retail scenarios. Despite that, bar charts have a few shortcomings. They cannot illustrate data trends over time. Besides, overloading the chart with numerous products can lead to visual clutter, diminishing its effectiveness.

For more information, check our collection of bar chart templates for PowerPoint .

Line graphs help illustrate data trends, progressions, or fluctuations by connecting a series of data points called ‘markers’ with straight line segments. This provides a straightforward representation of how values change [5] . Their versatility makes them invaluable for scenarios requiring a visual understanding of continuous data. In addition, line graphs are also useful for comparing multiple datasets over the same timeline. Using multiple line graphs allows us to compare more than one data set. They simplify complex information so the audience can quickly grasp the ups and downs of values. From tracking stock prices to analyzing experimental results, you can use line graphs to show how data changes over a continuous timeline. They show trends with simplicity and clarity.

Real-life Application of Line Graphs

To understand line graphs thoroughly, we will use a real case. Imagine you’re a financial analyst presenting a tech company’s monthly sales for a licensed product over the past year. Investors want insights into sales behavior by month, how market trends may have influenced sales performance and reception to the new pricing strategy. To present data via a line graph, you will complete these steps.

First, you need to gather the data. In this case, your data will be the sales numbers. For example:

  • January: $45,000
  • February: $55,000
  • March: $45,000
  • April: $60,000
  • May: $ 70,000
  • June: $65,000
  • July: $62,000
  • August: $68,000
  • September: $81,000
  • October: $76,000
  • November: $87,000
  • December: $91,000

After choosing the data, the next step is to select the orientation. Like bar charts, you can use vertical or horizontal line graphs. However, we want to keep this simple, so we will keep the timeline (x-axis) horizontal while the sales numbers (y-axis) vertical.

Step 3: Connecting Trends

After adding the data to your preferred software, you will plot a line graph. In the graph, each month’s sales are represented by data points connected by a line.

Line graph in data presentation

Step 4: Adding Clarity with Color

If there are multiple lines, you can also add colors to highlight each one, making it easier to follow.

Line graphs excel at visually presenting trends over time. These presentation aids identify patterns, like upward or downward trends. However, too many data points can clutter the graph, making it harder to interpret. Line graphs work best with continuous data but are not suitable for categories.

For more information, check our collection of line chart templates for PowerPoint and our article about how to make a presentation graph .

A data dashboard is a visual tool for analyzing information. Different graphs, charts, and tables are consolidated in a layout to showcase the information required to achieve one or more objectives. Dashboards help quickly see Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). You don’t make new visuals in the dashboard; instead, you use it to display visuals you’ve already made in worksheets [3] .

Keeping the number of visuals on a dashboard to three or four is recommended. Adding too many can make it hard to see the main points [4]. Dashboards can be used for business analytics to analyze sales, revenue, and marketing metrics at a time. They are also used in the manufacturing industry, as they allow users to grasp the entire production scenario at the moment while tracking the core KPIs for each line.

Real-Life Application of a Dashboard

Consider a project manager presenting a software development project’s progress to a tech company’s leadership team. He follows the following steps.

Step 1: Defining Key Metrics

To effectively communicate the project’s status, identify key metrics such as completion status, budget, and bug resolution rates. Then, choose measurable metrics aligned with project objectives.

Step 2: Choosing Visualization Widgets

After finalizing the data, presentation aids that align with each metric are selected. For this project, the project manager chooses a progress bar for the completion status and uses bar charts for budget allocation. Likewise, he implements line charts for bug resolution rates.

Data analysis presentation example

Step 3: Dashboard Layout

Key metrics are prominently placed in the dashboard for easy visibility, and the manager ensures that it appears clean and organized.

Dashboards provide a comprehensive view of key project metrics. Users can interact with data, customize views, and drill down for detailed analysis. However, creating an effective dashboard requires careful planning to avoid clutter. Besides, dashboards rely on the availability and accuracy of underlying data sources.

For more information, check our article on how to design a dashboard presentation , and discover our collection of dashboard PowerPoint templates .

Treemap charts represent hierarchical data structured in a series of nested rectangles [6] . As each branch of the ‘tree’ is given a rectangle, smaller tiles can be seen representing sub-branches, meaning elements on a lower hierarchical level than the parent rectangle. Each one of those rectangular nodes is built by representing an area proportional to the specified data dimension.

Treemaps are useful for visualizing large datasets in compact space. It is easy to identify patterns, such as which categories are dominant. Common applications of the treemap chart are seen in the IT industry, such as resource allocation, disk space management, website analytics, etc. Also, they can be used in multiple industries like healthcare data analysis, market share across different product categories, or even in finance to visualize portfolios.

Real-Life Application of a Treemap Chart

Let’s consider a financial scenario where a financial team wants to represent the budget allocation of a company. There is a hierarchy in the process, so it is helpful to use a treemap chart. In the chart, the top-level rectangle could represent the total budget, and it would be subdivided into smaller rectangles, each denoting a specific department. Further subdivisions within these smaller rectangles might represent individual projects or cost categories.

Step 1: Define Your Data Hierarchy

While presenting data on the budget allocation, start by outlining the hierarchical structure. The sequence will be like the overall budget at the top, followed by departments, projects within each department, and finally, individual cost categories for each project.

  • Top-level rectangle: Total Budget
  • Second-level rectangles: Departments (Engineering, Marketing, Sales)
  • Third-level rectangles: Projects within each department
  • Fourth-level rectangles: Cost categories for each project (Personnel, Marketing Expenses, Equipment)

Step 2: Choose a Suitable Tool

It’s time to select a data visualization tool supporting Treemaps. Popular choices include Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, PowerPoint, or even coding with libraries like D3.js. It is vital to ensure that the chosen tool provides customization options for colors, labels, and hierarchical structures.

Here, the team uses PowerPoint for this guide because of its user-friendly interface and robust Treemap capabilities.

Step 3: Make a Treemap Chart with PowerPoint

After opening the PowerPoint presentation, they chose “SmartArt” to form the chart. The SmartArt Graphic window has a “Hierarchy” category on the left.  Here, you will see multiple options. You can choose any layout that resembles a Treemap. The “Table Hierarchy” or “Organization Chart” options can be adapted. The team selects the Table Hierarchy as it looks close to a Treemap.

Step 5: Input Your Data

After that, a new window will open with a basic structure. They add the data one by one by clicking on the text boxes. They start with the top-level rectangle, representing the total budget.  

Treemap used for presenting data

Step 6: Customize the Treemap

By clicking on each shape, they customize its color, size, and label. At the same time, they can adjust the font size, style, and color of labels by using the options in the “Format” tab in PowerPoint. Using different colors for each level enhances the visual difference.

Treemaps excel at illustrating hierarchical structures. These charts make it easy to understand relationships and dependencies. They efficiently use space, compactly displaying a large amount of data, reducing the need for excessive scrolling or navigation. Additionally, using colors enhances the understanding of data by representing different variables or categories.

In some cases, treemaps might become complex, especially with deep hierarchies.  It becomes challenging for some users to interpret the chart. At the same time, displaying detailed information within each rectangle might be constrained by space. It potentially limits the amount of data that can be shown clearly. Without proper labeling and color coding, there’s a risk of misinterpretation.

A heatmap is a data visualization tool that uses color coding to represent values across a two-dimensional surface. In these, colors replace numbers to indicate the magnitude of each cell. This color-shaded matrix display is valuable for summarizing and understanding data sets with a glance [7] . The intensity of the color corresponds to the value it represents, making it easy to identify patterns, trends, and variations in the data.

As a tool, heatmaps help businesses analyze website interactions, revealing user behavior patterns and preferences to enhance overall user experience. In addition, companies use heatmaps to assess content engagement, identifying popular sections and areas of improvement for more effective communication. They excel at highlighting patterns and trends in large datasets, making it easy to identify areas of interest.

We can implement heatmaps to express multiple data types, such as numerical values, percentages, or even categorical data. Heatmaps help us easily spot areas with lots of activity, making them helpful in figuring out clusters [8] . When making these maps, it is important to pick colors carefully. The colors need to show the differences between groups or levels of something. And it is good to use colors that people with colorblindness can easily see.

Check our detailed guide on how to create a heatmap here. Also discover our collection of heatmap PowerPoint templates .

Pie charts are circular statistical graphics divided into slices to illustrate numerical proportions. Each slice represents a proportionate part of the whole, making it easy to visualize the contribution of each component to the total.

The size of the pie charts is influenced by the value of data points within each pie. The total of all data points in a pie determines its size. The pie with the highest data points appears as the largest, whereas the others are proportionally smaller. However, you can present all pies of the same size if proportional representation is not required [9] . Sometimes, pie charts are difficult to read, or additional information is required. A variation of this tool can be used instead, known as the donut chart , which has the same structure but a blank center, creating a ring shape. Presenters can add extra information, and the ring shape helps to declutter the graph.

Pie charts are used in business to show percentage distribution, compare relative sizes of categories, or present straightforward data sets where visualizing ratios is essential.

Real-Life Application of Pie Charts

Consider a scenario where you want to represent the distribution of the data. Each slice of the pie chart would represent a different category, and the size of each slice would indicate the percentage of the total portion allocated to that category.

Step 1: Define Your Data Structure

Imagine you are presenting the distribution of a project budget among different expense categories.

  • Column A: Expense Categories (Personnel, Equipment, Marketing, Miscellaneous)
  • Column B: Budget Amounts ($40,000, $30,000, $20,000, $10,000) Column B represents the values of your categories in Column A.

Step 2: Insert a Pie Chart

Using any of the accessible tools, you can create a pie chart. The most convenient tools for forming a pie chart in a presentation are presentation tools such as PowerPoint or Google Slides.  You will notice that the pie chart assigns each expense category a percentage of the total budget by dividing it by the total budget.

For instance:

  • Personnel: $40,000 / ($40,000 + $30,000 + $20,000 + $10,000) = 40%
  • Equipment: $30,000 / ($40,000 + $30,000 + $20,000 + $10,000) = 30%
  • Marketing: $20,000 / ($40,000 + $30,000 + $20,000 + $10,000) = 20%
  • Miscellaneous: $10,000 / ($40,000 + $30,000 + $20,000 + $10,000) = 10%

You can make a chart out of this or just pull out the pie chart from the data.

Pie chart template in data presentation

3D pie charts and 3D donut charts are quite popular among the audience. They stand out as visual elements in any presentation slide, so let’s take a look at how our pie chart example would look in 3D pie chart format.

3D pie chart in data presentation

Step 03: Results Interpretation

The pie chart visually illustrates the distribution of the project budget among different expense categories. Personnel constitutes the largest portion at 40%, followed by equipment at 30%, marketing at 20%, and miscellaneous at 10%. This breakdown provides a clear overview of where the project funds are allocated, which helps in informed decision-making and resource management. It is evident that personnel are a significant investment, emphasizing their importance in the overall project budget.

Pie charts provide a straightforward way to represent proportions and percentages. They are easy to understand, even for individuals with limited data analysis experience. These charts work well for small datasets with a limited number of categories.

However, a pie chart can become cluttered and less effective in situations with many categories. Accurate interpretation may be challenging, especially when dealing with slight differences in slice sizes. In addition, these charts are static and do not effectively convey trends over time.

For more information, check our collection of pie chart templates for PowerPoint .

Histograms present the distribution of numerical variables. Unlike a bar chart that records each unique response separately, histograms organize numeric responses into bins and show the frequency of reactions within each bin [10] . The x-axis of a histogram shows the range of values for a numeric variable. At the same time, the y-axis indicates the relative frequencies (percentage of the total counts) for that range of values.

Whenever you want to understand the distribution of your data, check which values are more common, or identify outliers, histograms are your go-to. Think of them as a spotlight on the story your data is telling. A histogram can provide a quick and insightful overview if you’re curious about exam scores, sales figures, or any numerical data distribution.

Real-Life Application of a Histogram

In the histogram data analysis presentation example, imagine an instructor analyzing a class’s grades to identify the most common score range. A histogram could effectively display the distribution. It will show whether most students scored in the average range or if there are significant outliers.

Step 1: Gather Data

He begins by gathering the data. The scores of each student in class are gathered to analyze exam scores.

After arranging the scores in ascending order, bin ranges are set.

Step 2: Define Bins

Bins are like categories that group similar values. Think of them as buckets that organize your data. The presenter decides how wide each bin should be based on the range of the values. For instance, the instructor sets the bin ranges based on score intervals: 60-69, 70-79, 80-89, and 90-100.

Step 3: Count Frequency

Now, he counts how many data points fall into each bin. This step is crucial because it tells you how often specific ranges of values occur. The result is the frequency distribution, showing the occurrences of each group.

Here, the instructor counts the number of students in each category.

  • 60-69: 1 student (Kate)
  • 70-79: 4 students (David, Emma, Grace, Jack)
  • 80-89: 7 students (Alice, Bob, Frank, Isabel, Liam, Mia, Noah)
  • 90-100: 3 students (Clara, Henry, Olivia)

Step 4: Create the Histogram

It’s time to turn the data into a visual representation. Draw a bar for each bin on a graph. The width of the bar should correspond to the range of the bin, and the height should correspond to the frequency.  To make your histogram understandable, label the X and Y axes.

In this case, the X-axis should represent the bins (e.g., test score ranges), and the Y-axis represents the frequency.

Histogram in Data Presentation

The histogram of the class grades reveals insightful patterns in the distribution. Most students, with seven students, fall within the 80-89 score range. The histogram provides a clear visualization of the class’s performance. It showcases a concentration of grades in the upper-middle range with few outliers at both ends. This analysis helps in understanding the overall academic standing of the class. It also identifies the areas for potential improvement or recognition.

Thus, histograms provide a clear visual representation of data distribution. They are easy to interpret, even for those without a statistical background. They apply to various types of data, including continuous and discrete variables. One weak point is that histograms do not capture detailed patterns in students’ data, with seven compared to other visualization methods.

A scatter plot is a graphical representation of the relationship between two variables. It consists of individual data points on a two-dimensional plane. This plane plots one variable on the x-axis and the other on the y-axis. Each point represents a unique observation. It visualizes patterns, trends, or correlations between the two variables.

Scatter plots are also effective in revealing the strength and direction of relationships. They identify outliers and assess the overall distribution of data points. The points’ dispersion and clustering reflect the relationship’s nature, whether it is positive, negative, or lacks a discernible pattern. In business, scatter plots assess relationships between variables such as marketing cost and sales revenue. They help present data correlations and decision-making.

Real-Life Application of Scatter Plot

A group of scientists is conducting a study on the relationship between daily hours of screen time and sleep quality. After reviewing the data, they managed to create this table to help them build a scatter plot graph:

In the provided example, the x-axis represents Daily Hours of Screen Time, and the y-axis represents the Sleep Quality Rating.

Scatter plot in data presentation

The scientists observe a negative correlation between the amount of screen time and the quality of sleep. This is consistent with their hypothesis that blue light, especially before bedtime, has a significant impact on sleep quality and metabolic processes.

There are a few things to remember when using a scatter plot. Even when a scatter diagram indicates a relationship, it doesn’t mean one variable affects the other. A third factor can influence both variables. The more the plot resembles a straight line, the stronger the relationship is perceived [11] . If it suggests no ties, the observed pattern might be due to random fluctuations in data. When the scatter diagram depicts no correlation, whether the data might be stratified is worth considering.

Choosing the appropriate data presentation type is crucial when making a presentation . Understanding the nature of your data and the message you intend to convey will guide this selection process. For instance, when showcasing quantitative relationships, scatter plots become instrumental in revealing correlations between variables. If the focus is on emphasizing parts of a whole, pie charts offer a concise display of proportions. Histograms, on the other hand, prove valuable for illustrating distributions and frequency patterns. 

Bar charts provide a clear visual comparison of different categories. Likewise, line charts excel in showcasing trends over time, while tables are ideal for detailed data examination. Starting a presentation on data presentation types involves evaluating the specific information you want to communicate and selecting the format that aligns with your message. This ensures clarity and resonance with your audience from the beginning of your presentation.

1. Fact Sheet Dashboard for Data Presentation

presentation for pie graph

Convey all the data you need to present in this one-pager format, an ideal solution tailored for users looking for presentation aids. Global maps, donut chats, column graphs, and text neatly arranged in a clean layout presented in light and dark themes.

Use This Template

2. 3D Column Chart Infographic PPT Template

presentation for pie graph

Represent column charts in a highly visual 3D format with this PPT template. A creative way to present data, this template is entirely editable, and we can craft either a one-page infographic or a series of slides explaining what we intend to disclose point by point.

3. Data Circles Infographic PowerPoint Template

presentation for pie graph

An alternative to the pie chart and donut chart diagrams, this template features a series of curved shapes with bubble callouts as ways of presenting data. Expand the information for each arch in the text placeholder areas.

4. Colorful Metrics Dashboard for Data Presentation

presentation for pie graph

This versatile dashboard template helps us in the presentation of the data by offering several graphs and methods to convert numbers into graphics. Implement it for e-commerce projects, financial projections, project development, and more.

5. Animated Data Presentation Tools for PowerPoint & Google Slides

Canvas Shape Tree Diagram Template

A slide deck filled with most of the tools mentioned in this article, from bar charts, column charts, treemap graphs, pie charts, histogram, etc. Animated effects make each slide look dynamic when sharing data with stakeholders.

6. Statistics Waffle Charts PPT Template for Data Presentations

presentation for pie graph

This PPT template helps us how to present data beyond the typical pie chart representation. It is widely used for demographics, so it’s a great fit for marketing teams, data science professionals, HR personnel, and more.

7. Data Presentation Dashboard Template for Google Slides

presentation for pie graph

A compendium of tools in dashboard format featuring line graphs, bar charts, column charts, and neatly arranged placeholder text areas. 

8. Weather Dashboard for Data Presentation

presentation for pie graph

Share weather data for agricultural presentation topics, environmental studies, or any kind of presentation that requires a highly visual layout for weather forecasting on a single day. Two color themes are available.

9. Social Media Marketing Dashboard Data Presentation Template

presentation for pie graph

Intended for marketing professionals, this dashboard template for data presentation is a tool for presenting data analytics from social media channels. Two slide layouts featuring line graphs and column charts.

10. Project Management Summary Dashboard Template

presentation for pie graph

A tool crafted for project managers to deliver highly visual reports on a project’s completion, the profits it delivered for the company, and expenses/time required to execute it. 4 different color layouts are available.

11. Profit & Loss Dashboard for PowerPoint and Google Slides

presentation for pie graph

A must-have for finance professionals. This typical profit & loss dashboard includes progress bars, donut charts, column charts, line graphs, and everything that’s required to deliver a comprehensive report about a company’s financial situation.

Overwhelming visuals

One of the mistakes related to using data-presenting methods is including too much data or using overly complex visualizations. They can confuse the audience and dilute the key message.

Inappropriate chart types

Choosing the wrong type of chart for the data at hand can lead to misinterpretation. For example, using a pie chart for data that doesn’t represent parts of a whole is not right.

Lack of context

Failing to provide context or sufficient labeling can make it challenging for the audience to understand the significance of the presented data.

Inconsistency in design

Using inconsistent design elements and color schemes across different visualizations can create confusion and visual disarray.

Failure to provide details

Simply presenting raw data without offering clear insights or takeaways can leave the audience without a meaningful conclusion.

Lack of focus

Not having a clear focus on the key message or main takeaway can result in a presentation that lacks a central theme.

Visual accessibility issues

Overlooking the visual accessibility of charts and graphs can exclude certain audience members who may have difficulty interpreting visual information.

In order to avoid these mistakes in data presentation, presenters can benefit from using presentation templates . These templates provide a structured framework. They ensure consistency, clarity, and an aesthetically pleasing design, enhancing data communication’s overall impact.

Understanding and choosing data presentation types are pivotal in effective communication. Each method serves a unique purpose, so selecting the appropriate one depends on the nature of the data and the message to be conveyed. The diverse array of presentation types offers versatility in visually representing information, from bar charts showing values to pie charts illustrating proportions. 

Using the proper method enhances clarity, engages the audience, and ensures that data sets are not just presented but comprehensively understood. By appreciating the strengths and limitations of different presentation types, communicators can tailor their approach to convey information accurately, developing a deeper connection between data and audience understanding.

[1] Government of Canada, S.C. (2021) 5 Data Visualization 5.2 Bar Chart , 5.2 Bar chart .  https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/edu/power-pouvoir/ch9/bargraph-diagrammeabarres/5214818-eng.htm

[2] Kosslyn, S.M., 1989. Understanding charts and graphs. Applied cognitive psychology, 3(3), pp.185-225. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA183409.pdf

[3] Creating a Dashboard . https://it.tufts.edu/book/export/html/1870

[4] https://www.goldenwestcollege.edu/research/data-and-more/data-dashboards/index.html

[5] https://www.mit.edu/course/21/21.guide/grf-line.htm

[6] Jadeja, M. and Shah, K., 2015, January. Tree-Map: A Visualization Tool for Large Data. In GSB@ SIGIR (pp. 9-13). https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1393/gsb15proceedings.pdf#page=15

[7] Heat Maps and Quilt Plots. https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/population-health-methods/heat-maps-and-quilt-plots

[8] EIU QGIS WORKSHOP. https://www.eiu.edu/qgisworkshop/heatmaps.php

[9] About Pie Charts.  https://www.mit.edu/~mbarker/formula1/f1help/11-ch-c8.htm

[10] Histograms. https://sites.utexas.edu/sos/guided/descriptive/numericaldd/descriptiven2/histogram/ [11] https://asq.org/quality-resources/scatter-diagram

presentation for pie graph

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Data Visualization: Better Than Pie Charts

  • PowerPoint Tutorials
  • Charts & Data Viz
  • Presentation Design
  • June 23, 2016

I hate pie charts.

They are ugly, over used and often stuffed so full of data that you can’t make any sense out of them.

That’s why in this tutorial, I’m going to show a data visualization technique that is better than using pie charts for getting your point across.

Research has shown that the single best indicator of success – for any profession – is how often you are asked to deliver presentations.

And the best way to get more invitations to present, is to make the presentations you do give REALLY good.

Before learning these better than pie chart tricks, don’t forget to ask yourself the all important presentation question before you start building your slide.

What’s the point?!

  • Why did I go to all of the effort to pull this information together?
  • What do I want someone to understand by seeing this information?
  • What do I hope someone thinks after I present it to them?

Your slide’s job is to back you up, and to do that it needs to have a point. This is so obvious, so simple and yet so  OVERLOOKED !

With that said, let’s dive right in.

And right off the bat, I have to admit that pie charts are my least favorite chart type (by far), but let’s assume for this first episode, that we  HAVE  to use a pie chart. We aren’t given a choice (it happens).Enter your text here…

What type of chart should I use instead of a pie chart?

I typically prefer column and bar charts, and I explain why in  Episode #2 – The Pie Chart Secret Ingredient , as adding it all but forces you to get to a point with your slide.

So, if you are ever stuck with a pie chart, there are two bulletproof rules you can use to help you get to your point,  the Rule of Two’s  and  Going Doughnut .

Pie Chart Rule #1: The Rule Of Two’s

The Rule of Two’s is super simple. It means that when given a pie chart, you’re only allowed to format two pieces of data. That’s it, only two, which forces you to be crystal clear in what you want to talk about.

Step #1:  Format the one specific data point in your pie chart that you want to talk about.

Step #2:  Combine all of the other categories into a single category.

Step #3:  Add a title describing your highlighted portion.

For example, taking the original pie chart we started with on the left, using the Rule of Two’s I might end up with the slide on the right.

Nuts-Bolts-Speed-Training-Pie-Charts-1

And right off the bat, notice how much clearer your message becomes for both you and your audience.

If you put up the original pie chart on the left, even you as the presenter might not remember what exactly you wanted to say about it. On the flip side, if you put up the pie chart on the right, you better start talking about the 45% that you highlighted as there is really nothing else to talk about.

It’s still might not be a super clear point (it’s merely a fact) but it’s now something you can use to back up what your are talking about.

Pie Formatting Trick – Changing the Angle of Your First Slide

I once read somewhere that it’s best to have the highlighted portion of your pie chart in the lower right-hand corner of your chart.

That means that depending on which data point you highlight in your pie chart with the Rule of Two’s, you might need to adjust the angle of your first slice. To do that, just follow these two steps.

Step #1: Open the Format Data Point Dialog Box

Click within your pie chart and hit the CTRL+1 shortcut on your keyboard to open up the formatting dialog box (see this charting shortcut explained below).

Within the dialog box that opens up, notice that you have an input box for ‘Angle of first slice’.

image12-1

Step #2: Adjust the Angle of First Slice

Simply adjust the angle setting to move that piece of your pie chart around in your graphic. Below are some examples of different angles.

presentation for pie graph

Pie Chart Rule #1: Slight Variation

Often times your pie chart will start with so many slices that coloring just one piece isn’t very helpful. In these cases, it’s good to use the Rule of Two’s to also consolidate the data points that you want to highlight.

For example, in the graphic below I’ve colored in black 3 different categories of traffic that can all be consolidated under the broader umbrella of organic traffic that I want to highlight.

After identifying which pieces can be grouped together, again using the Rule of Two’s you can group them together in Excel. For the data set above, that would result in the graphic below, showing that 70% of all traffic is coming from organic sources.

And you can do the same thing with whatever data set you are using.

Nuts-Baolts-Speed-Training-Pie-Charts-5

Again, notice how if this was your graphic, you couldn’t help  BUT  talk about that 70% when you got to this slide.

That’s the beauty of using the Rules of Two’s. It gets you talking about one specific thing which as you’ll see in the next Episode, helps open up a whole can of worms (the good kind) for your presentation.

But before we get there, let’s also talk about Going Doughnut.

Pie Chart Rule #2: Going Doughnut

Nuts-Bolts-Speed-Training-Pie-Charts-7

Do you agree the same chart on the right looks better than the one on the left?

The beauty is, you don’t have to recreate anything either. PowerPoint allows you to flip between your charts, so this is a quick fix to make.

Step #1: Change Chart Type

Select your pie chart and navigate to the Chart Tools Design tab and then select Change Chart Type to open up the Change Chart Type dialog box.

Depending on your version of PowerPoint, the Change Chart Type icon might be in a different place in your Ribbon.

Nuts-Bolts-Speed-Training-Pie-Charts-6

With the Change Chart Type dialog box open, select the doughnut chart type.

Nuts-Bolts-Speed-Training-Pie-Charts-9

Step #2: Add Your Statistic to the Center

Once you have your doughnut chart, next you will want to remove the data labels in the chart and add your own directly in the center.

To do that, just insert a shape or text box and in the center of the doughnut, and type in your figure (70% in this case). If you are using a rectangle, you will also want to remove the shape fill and the shape outline as shown below.

Nuts-Bolts-Speed-Training-Pie-Charts-8

The Beauty Of These 2 Rules

The beauty of these two simple rules is they help you drill down to a specific data point you can use to back up your presentation. The result is an info graphic like visual that starts directing the message of your slide.

You can even use these rules to develop your point, even if you don’t originally know what it is.

For example, if the below was your original pie chart and you had  NO IDEA  what to do with the data…

Nuts-Bolts-Speed-Training-Pie-Charts-12

That gives you some flexibility to talk about the 3 cornerstones of your organic traffic strategy, and to add a highlight or two about each piece.

It’s still not as good as what we do in  Episode #2 – The Pie Chart Secret Ingredient , but it’s the first step to getting to a point with your pie chart.

What’s Next?

Related articles.

  • What is a broken link chart in PowerPoint (and how to fix it)?
  • Bar chart trick: Right aligning categories (PPT, Word, and Excel)
  • PowerPoint settings: program level vs. presentation level
  • What is a linked Excel chart in PowerPoint?
  • Set Up Slide Show: Customize how your PPT presentations run

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How-To Geek

How to create animated pie charts in powerpoint.

Charts are great for visualizing data.

Quick Links

Animating a pie chart in powerpoint.

Charts are great for visualizing data. Adding animation to charts can make that visualization even better, letting you do things like introduce one piece of a pie chart at a time, so you have more room for discussion. Here's how to do just that in Microsoft PowerPoint.

First, open up your PowerPoint presentation and go to the slide where you want the animated pie chart. To insert a pie chart, switch to the “Insert” tab and click the “Chart” button.

In the Insert Chart window that appears, select “Pie” from the list on the left. On the right, select the pie chart style you’d like to use from the five options that appear. When you've made your selection, click “OK” at the bottom right of the window.

You’ll notice the pie chart has now appeared on the slide and, with it, and Excel chart. Change the labels of the pie chart by editing the text in column A, and enter its respective data in column B. Once done, close the spreadsheet.

Next, select the pie chart and head over to the “Animations” tab. Here, select whichever animation you’d like to use from the available options. In this example, we will use “Wipe.”

Next, click the “Animation Pane” to open that up.

The Animation Pane appears to the right of your slide. Here, double-click the animation you added to your pie chart, or click the arrow next to it and then select “Effect Options.”

A window will appear with effect, timing, and chart animation options. Head over to the “Chart Animation” tab. Here, you can select how the chart animation behaves---as one object or by category. Choosing "As One Object" makes the whole chart appear at once. Choosing "By Category" makes the chart appear one slice at a time, and that's exactly what we want here.

You can even decide if you want the animation to begin by drawing the chart background.

When you click "OK," your pie chart will look the same in editing view but hit Shift+F5 to play your slide and then click your left mouse button to watch your new animated pie chart in action.

A pie chart is a pictorial representation of data in the form of a circular chart or pie where the slices of the pie show the size of the data. A list of numerical variables along with categorical variables is needed to represent data in the form of a pie chart. The arc length of each slice and consequently the area and central angle it forms in a pie chart is proportional to the quantity it represents.

What is Pie Chart?

A pie chart is a type of a chart that visually displays data in a circular graph. It is one of the most commonly used graphs to represent data using the attributes of circles , spheres , and angular data to represent real-world information. The shape of a pie chart is circular where the pie represents the whole data and the slice out of the pie represents the parts of the data and records it discretely.

Pie Chart Definition

A pie chart is a type of graph that records data in a circular manner that is further divided into sectors for representing the data of that particular part out of the whole part. Each of these sectors or slices represents the proportionate part of the whole. Pie charts, also commonly known as pie diagrams help in interpreting and representing the data more clearly. It is also used to compare the given data.

Pie Chart Example

Let us look at the following example of the following pie chart that represents the ingredients used to prepare a butter cake.

Pie Charts Example

Example: The whole pie represents a value of 100. It is divided into 10 slices or sectors. The various colors represent the ingredients used to prepare the cake. What would be the exact quantity of each of the ingredients represented in specific colors in the following pie chart?

Solution: As we can see, the pie is divided into 10 slices or sectors. To calculate the exact amount of ingredients that are added to the cake, we divide the whole sector's value, i.e., 100 by the number of sectors. So, 100 ÷ 10 = 10. Hence, looking at the color divisions made in the pie chart we can conclude that:

Pie Chart Formula

We know that the total value of the pie is always 100%. It is also known that a circle subtends an angle of 360°. Hence, the total of all the data is equal to 360°. Based on these, there are two main formulas used in pie charts:

  • To calculate the percentage of the given data, we use the formula: (Frequency ÷ Total Frequency) × 100
  • To convert the data into degrees we use the formula: (Given Data ÷ Total value of Data) × 360°

We can work out the percentage for a given pie chart using the steps given below,

  • Categorize the given data and calculate the total
  • Divide the different categories
  • Convert the data into percentages
  • Calculate the degrees

Let us understand the above steps using an example.

Example: Observe the following pie chart that represents the money spent by Ana at the funfair. The indicated color shows the amount spent on each category. The total value of the data is 20 and the amount spent on each category is interpreted as follows:

  • Ice Cream - 4
  • Toffees - 4
  • Popcorn - 2

Example of Pie Charts

To convert this into pie chart percentage, we apply the formula: (Frequency ÷ Total Frequency) × 100

Let us convert the above data into a percentage :

Amount spent on rides: (10/20)× 100 = 50%

Amount spent on toffees: (4/20)× 100 = 20%

Amount spent on popcorn: (2/20)× 100 = 10%

Amount spent on ice-cream: (4/20)× 100 = 20%

Observe the following pie chart that recommends a low-carb diet on a day.

Example of Calculating Pie Charts

We measure the angles of each slice. We get that Protein measures 180° , Carb measures 108°, and Fats measures 72°

To find the percentage, we divide each angle by 360 and multiply it by 100.

Protein = (180/360) × 100 = 50%

Carb = (108/360) × 100 = 30%

Fats = (72/360) × 100 = 20%

Uses of Pie Chart

Whenever some data has to be represented visually as a fractional part of a whole, we use pie charts. It is used to compare the data and see why one is smaller/greater than the other. Therefore, when we are dealing with a limited number of buckets and discrete data sets, it’s better to use a pie chart. Listed below are a few uses of a pie chart:

  • In a business, it is used to compare the growth areas such as profit and loss.
  • In school, pie charts are used to show the time allotted to each section, the grades of students in a form of percentages, etc.
  • Pie charts are used in comparing the relative size of data of people owning the same vehicles, similar houses, etc.
  • They are used to represent the marketing and sales data for the comparison of brands.

Steps to Construct Pie Chart

We use the following steps to construct a pie chart and using the above-mentioned formulas, we can calculate the data.

  • Step 1: Write all the data into a table and add up all the values to get a total.
  • Step 2: To find the values in the form of a percentage divide each value by the total and multiply by 100.
  • Step 3: To find how many degrees for each pie sector we need, we take a full circle of 360° and use the formula: (Frequency/Total Frequency) × 360°
  • Step 4: Once all the degrees for creating a pie chart are calculated, draw a circle (pie chart) using the calculated measurements with the help of a protractor.

Example: Construct a pie chart to visually display the favorite fruits of the students in a class based on the given data: Mango - 45; Orange - 30; Plum - 15; Pineapple - 30; Melon - 30

Step 1: Create a table with the values and get the total.

Step 2: Find the percentage of each value:

Mango = (45/150) × 100 = 30%

Orange = (30/150) × 100 = 20%

Plum = (15/150) × 100 = 10%

Pineapple = (30/150) × 100 = 20%

Melon = (30/150) × 100 = 20%

Step 3: Finding the degree of each pie sector using the formula: (Given data/Total Value of data) × 360°

With all the above degrees, with the help of a protractor draw a pie chart. Thus, the pie chart looks like this:

Example of Constructing Pie Charts

Interpreting Pie Chart

To read or interpret a pie chart, we see if the given chart is given in percentages or without any value. If it is given in percentages, the conversion is made accordingly and interpreted accordingly. Let us look at an example to understand this better.

Example: The pie chart shown below shows the percentages of types of transportation used by 500 students to come to school. With this given information, answer the following questions: a) How many students come to school by bicycle? b) How many students do not walk to school? c) How many students come to school by bus and car?

Example of Interpreting Pie Charts

a) The students who come by bicycle = 25%; (25/100) × 500 = 25 × 5 = 125

b) The students who do not walk to school - We need to add the values of all the remaining means, i.e., bus + car + bicycle = 26 + 32 + 25 = 83

Hence, (83/100) × 500 = 83 × 5 = 415 students do not walk to school.

c) The students who come by bus and car [(32 + 26)/100] × 500 = 58 × 5 = 290

Pie Chart Advantages

Given below are the advantages to a pie chart which are the reasons for the widespread application of pie charts in different fields.

  • A pie chart is a simple and easy-to-understand method to represent the data visually as a fractional part of a whole.
  • It provides an effective communication tool visually simpler than other types of graphs.
  • Pie chart helps in data comparison for the audience at a glance to give an immediate analysis or to quickly understand information due to widespread use in business and the media.

Pie Chart Disadvantages

There are few demerits in pie charts. These are as given below,

  • A pie chart cannot show more than a few values without separating the visual encoding from the data they represent, that is they are not very effective when the number of values in a data set increases.
  • It does not easily reveal exact values in the data set.
  • To show the changes in the data, many pie charts may be needed. It, therefore, fails to explain the causes, effects, or patterns.

Related Topics:

Listed below are a few interesting topics that are related to the concept of a pie chart, take a look!

  • Measurement

Pie Chart Examples

Example 1: The following chart shows the various activities done by Diana in a week.

a) Calculate the central angle subtended at sleeping.

b) Find the portion of time spent by Diana at school.

c) Find the central angle subtended in playing.

Example of Pie Charts

a) Time spent in sleeping = 34%; (34/100) × 360 = 122.4°. Therefore, the central angle subtended at sleeping = 122.4°

b) Time spent at school = 25%; 25/100 = 1/4. Therefore, she spends 1/4th of her time in school.

c) Time spent on playing = 8%; (8/100) × 360 = 28.8°. Therefore, the central angle subtended at playing = 28.8°

Example 2: The pie chart shows the favorite subjects of students in a class. Using the information given in the pie chart, find the percentage of students who chose English.

Example of Pie Charts

Let's first determine the percentage of students who chose English by looking at the pie chart.

We know that 144° + 36° + 72° + 108°= 360°

The percentage of students who chose English: (72/360) × 100 = 20

Therefore, the percentage of students who chose English = 20%

Example 3: A pie chart is divided into 3 parts with the angles measuring as x, 4x, and 5x respectively. Find the value of x in degrees.

We know, the sum of all angles in a pie chart would give 360º as result. ⇒ x + 4x + 5x = 360º ⇒ 10 x = 360º ⇒ x = 360º/10 ⇒ x = 36º Therefore, the value of x is 36º.

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presentation for pie graph

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Practice Questions on Pie Charts

Faqs on pie chart, what is a pie chart.

A pie chart is a circular graph that records data according to numbers, percentages, and degrees. The pie chart is divided into sectors for representing the data of a particular part out of the whole part according to the measurements. Pie charts also called pie diagrams, represent each sector or slice as the proportionate part of the whole. Some of the examples where we use pie charts are in businesses, schools, etc.

What are the Uses of a Pie Chart?

Pie charts are used to represent the proportional data in a single chart. The concept of pie slices is used to show the percentage of a particular data from the whole pie. Pie charts are used in businesses to measure the profit or loss of the company, used in schools to compare the percentages of scores of students, used in marketing and sales materials, and so on.

Should a Pie Chart be equal to 100?

Yes, the total value of the pie chart should be equal to 100. The slices of the pie chart are accordingly expressed as a percentage.

What is the Formula for Pie Chart?

The different formulas that can be used while representing a given data in form of pie charts are as given below,

  • To calculate the percentage of the given data we use the formula: (Frequency ÷ Total Frequency) × 100

How do you Explain a Pie Chart?

To read or explain the information depicted in the form of a pie chart, we see if the given chart is given in percentages or without any value. If it is given in percentages, the conversion is made accordingly and the data can be interpreted accordingly.

How do you Work out Degrees for a Pie Chart?

To convert the data into degrees for a pie chart, we use the formula given below, (Given Data ÷ Total value of Data) × 360°.

How to Calculate the Percentage of Data in the Pie Chart?

To calculate the percentage of the given data in a pie chart, we can use the formula given below, (Frequency ÷ Total Frequency) × 100

How to Create a Pie Chart?

We use the following steps to construct a pie chart:

  • Step 1: Add all the values to get the total quantity mentioned in the table.
  • Step 2: To determine the percentages divide each value by the total and multiply it by 100.
  • Step 3: To determine the degrees of each sector, use the formula: (Frequency/Total Frequency) × 360°
  • Step 4: Once all the degrees for creating a pie circle are calculated, draw the circle (pie chart) using the calculated measurements with the help of a protractor.

How to Change Pie Chart Numbers to Percentage and Degree?

To calculate the numbers present in the pie chart, we can convert them into percentages and degrees. To convert a value into a pie chart percentage, we use the formula: (Frequency ÷ Total Frequency) × 100. To convert a value into degrees, we use the formula: (Given Data ÷ Total value of Data) × 360°

May 07, 2024

What’s New in Drill Down Visuals: May 2024

We have released updates to our TimeSeries, Map, Pie, Donut and Graph visuals that have added various useful features and quality-of-life improvements.

Title image

Make sure that you have updated your visuals to the latest version! You can check your current version by pressing the “?” ( Info ) button at the top right corner of the visual, or by right-clicking the visual’s icon in the Visualizations pane and opening the About screen.

TimeSeries PRO: Now Supports Up To 25 Series

With the v1.11.7.0 update for Drill Down TimeSeries PRO , we have significantly increased the maximum number of series that you can display in the same visual, raising it from 12 to 25. You can now compare more data in the same visual and have more flexibility. This update brings TimeSeries PRO in line with our Combo, Combo Bar, and Timeline visuals.

The Build Visual tab of the Visualizations pane contains separate fields for each series ( Series 1-25) , and you can add a numeric column to each field to visualize it as a separate series. You can configure the appearance of each series separately in its own Series Configuration section of the Format Visual tab.

25 series in Drill Down TimeSeries

Map PRO: Hide Latitude and Longitude from Tooltips

Tooltips in Drill Down Map PRO are a convenient way to display useful information related to each node. By default, tooltips will show the latitude and longitude values for each node, in addition to columns that you have added to Tooltip Fields . The v1.11.13.0 update for Drill Down Map PRO introduces an option to hide the Latitude and Longitude values from the tooltip.

Head to the Tooltip Settings section of the Format visual tab where you will find the “Show Latitude and Longitude” toggle. By disabling this toggle, you hide the node coordinates and show only Tooltip Fields content in the tooltip. This way, you can simplify your chart and remove data that’s irrelevant to the end user.

Drill Down Map PRO - Latitude and Longitude in Tooltip

Graph PRO: Separate Tooltip Fields for Source and Target Nodes

As of v1.11.13.0 version of Drill Down Graph PRO , the Tooltip Content field is now replaced by two different fields – Source Tooltip Field and Target Tooltip Field .

Previously, the tooltip content was always applied to the source node. Now, you can choose if the tooltip content is applied to the source node or target node of the data point. You can also use both fields at the same time.  

>Note: If you are using both fields, and a data point is a source and target node at the same time, then Source Tooltip Field will take priority over Target Tooltip Field .

Drill Down Graph Pro - Source and Target tooltip field

Donut PRO & Pie PRO: Location of the Toolbar

Drill Down Donut PRO v1.11.15.0 and Drill Down Pie PRO v1.11.13.0 introduces a new setting – “ Location of the toolbar” . It can be found in the Toolbar section of the Format visual tab and with this setting, you can choose how the toolbar is displayed within the visual’s viewport in relation to the chart.

If you select Inside, the toolbar buttons will overlay the chart, and the chart will use all available space within the viewport. Choosing Outside will create a “safe zone” for the toolbar to ensure that it never overlaps with the chart or other elements, and the chart will be resized to accommodate the toolbar.

Donut and Pie PRO - Location of the toolbar setting

Donut PRO & Pie PRO: Detail Label Placement Mode

The same update also introduces an additional way to customize the detail labels. If your selected detail label placement is Outside, you will now see an additional setting called “Placement Mode” . It affects how the visual determines the location of each label.

The default setting, Align , will align all labels in two vertical columns, just like before. What’s new is the Wrap option, which will spread out the detail labels around the entire chart so that they are closer to their respective slices. This way, you can use the visual’s space more efficiently.

Drill Down Donut and Pie - Placement Mode for Outside Labels

All Visuals: High Resolution Toolbar Icons

Lastly, we want to mention a little quality-of-life improvement that has been added to all our visuals . The toolbar icons have been upgraded from PNG raster images to SVG vectors, which means that they will remain sharp and crystal-clear at any scale.

presentation for pie graph

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COMMENTS

  1. Data Presentation

    To make a pie chart, separate the data into components. In the pie chart above, the data is about all fluid milk in the U.S., and the categories are plain 2% milk, plain whole milk, plain 1% milk, skim milk, flavored milk, and eggnog and buttermilk. Next, determine the ratio or percentage that each component takes up out of the whole.

  2. How to Create a Pie Chart on a PowerPoint Slide

    Create a Pie Chart in PowerPoint. Begin by adding a new slide using the Title and Content slide layout. Then, select the Insert Chart icon (it's the middle icon on the top row of the group of six icons shown in the body of the slide layout). Another way to add a pie chart is to choose a blank slide in your presentation and select Insert > Chart.

  3. [Updated 2023] 20 Pie Chart Templates to Draw Intuitive Comparisons

    Pie charts are frequently used to show proportions among various categories, including expenses, demographic groups, and survey results, in business presentations and education. It enables the viewer to swiftly absorb information or perform an immediate analysis by allowing them to compare facts easily.

  4. Free Pie Chart Infographics for Google Slides & PowerPoint

    Free Google Slides theme, PowerPoint template, and Canva presentation template. Pie charts are powerful visual tools, and you can use them to represent and compare percentages or proportions. They are useful when presenting data about your company, when describing your buyer persona, or even for medical or educational topics. They look like ...

  5. Pie Chart Powerpoint Templates and Google Slides Themes

    Make data easier to understand with this pie chart PowerPoint template. Perfect for business professionals, teachers, and students alike, these templates will help you visualize complex information in a clear and concise way. With customizable slides, you can easily create engaging presentations and make sure your audience understands the data.

  6. Pie Charts: Using, Examples, and Interpreting

    For example, you can create a pie chart that shows the proportion of each sales type (electronics, software, accessories, etc.). Or create one that displays total sales by those categories. Pie charts shine when you need to assess the relative sizes of categories to the entire dataset. At a minimum, pie charts require one categorical variable.

  7. How to Make a Presentation Graph

    For instance, a pie chart for time-based trends might not be the most suitable choice. Match the graph type to the data characteristics to convey information accurately. Final Words. Working with presentation graphs may feel challenging for a beginner in presentation design software. Still, practice makes the master.

  8. A Complete Guide to Pie Charts

    The pie chart above depicts the distribution of votes for a fictional election for a small city. We can see that Reyes, represented by the first blue slice, has just less than half of the votes. Chu (yellow) is in second, with about a third of the votes, while Williams (purple) is last, with about a fifth of the votes.

  9. How to Create a Pie Chart in PowerPoint

    To create a pie chart in PowerPoint, follow these steps: Open PowerPoint and select the slide where you want to insert the chart. Click on the "Insert" tab on the top navigation bar. Select "Chart" from the options under the "Illustrations" section. Choose the type of chart you want to create and click on the "OK" button.

  10. Video: Insert a pie chart

    Quickly add a pie chart to your presentation, and see how to arrange the data to get the result you want. Customize chart elements, apply a chart style and colors, and insert a linked Excel chart. Add a pie chart to a presentation in PowerPoint. Use a pie chart to show the size of each item in a data series, proportional to the sum of the items.

  11. Pie Chart

    Pie Chart PowerPoint Template. When presenting your company's data, you can choose from the vast pool of charts that will suit your needs the best. This template is designed to help you process your data using pie charts. Pie charts are great for presenting relative sizes. The slices of the pie are proportional to the fraction of the whole.

  12. Free Pie Charts for PowerPoint and Google Slides

    Pie Charts. Explore our diverse selection of 27 Pie Charts, thoughtfully designed to enrich your PowerPoint and Google Slides presentations. These eye-catching, data-driven charts provide a powerful way to represent proportions and percentages, helping your audience to quickly grasp the relationships between different data segments.

  13. Pie Chart in PowerPoint

    Follow these simple steps to create a pie chart in PowerPoint: Open your PowerPoint presentation and navigate to the slide where you want to insert the pie chart. Click on the "Insert" tab on the top menu and select "Chart". A new window will appear where you can select the type of chart you want to create. Click on the "Pie" chart ...

  14. Understanding Data Presentations (Guide + Examples)

    Step 2: Insert a Pie Chart. Using any of the accessible tools, you can create a pie chart. The most convenient tools for forming a pie chart in a presentation are presentation tools such as PowerPoint or Google Slides. You will notice that the pie chart assigns each expense category a percentage of the total budget by dividing it by the total ...

  15. 2 Pie Chart Tricks for Better Data Visualizations in PowerPoint

    Step #1: Format the one specific data point in your pie chart that you want to talk about. Step #2: Combine all of the other categories into a single category. Step #3: Add a title describing your highlighted portion. For example, taking the original pie chart we started with on the left, using the Rule of Two's I might end up with the slide ...

  16. How to describe graphs, charts, and diagrams in a presentation

    Vertex (or Node): A fundamental unit of a graph, representing a point or an entity. Edge: A connection between two vertices in a graph, representing a relationship or interaction. Directed graph (or Digraph): A graph in which edges have a direction, indicating a one-way connection from one vertex to another.

  17. How to Make a Pie Chart: Step-by-Step Guide (& Templates)

    Step #2: Pull Your Data. Determine what it is you're trying to visualize in your pie chart. For the purposes of this post, we're going to create a pie chart that showcases a marketing team's budget. This type of pie chart would likely make its way into a marketing report to showcase how that month's budget was allocated.

  18. 18 Free Pie Chart Templates (Word, Excel, PDF, PowerPoint)

    Step 4 - Enter your data into your pie chart template. The data you have gathered can then be entered into your pie chart template, where you will see your chart come to life. Step 5 - Order your slices by size or category. It makes it easier for users to read your pie chart if it's arranged in a specific order.

  19. What is a pie chart and when to use it

    Pie charts are probably better than any other visual for expressing a part-to-whole relationship. When you hear "percent of…" or "part of…" that's one indication a pie chart could meet your needs. There are two primary use cases for a pie chart: If you want your audience to have a general sense of the part-to-whole relationship in ...

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