How to create a half pie chart in Excel?
Sometimes, when you have a data range that includes a total value, inserting a pie chart may result in one half of the chart representing the "Total" series, while the other half displays the remaining point values, as shown in the left screenshot below. However, you might prefer to create a half pie chart that excludes the "Total" series, as illustrated in right screenshot below. Here's how to achieve this in Excel.
Clicks to create a half pie chart or semi-circular ring chart by a handy tool
Comparison of Methods for Creating a Half Pie Chart in Excel
A half pie chart provides a compact way to display proportions in a semicircular layout. Excel can create this effect manually by inserting a standard pie chart and hiding the Total data point, while Kutools for Excel provides a dedicated Half Pie Chart tool. The following table compares the two methods introduced in this article.
| Feature | Excel Built-in Method | Kutools Half Pie Chart |
|---|---|---|
| Create a half pie chart | ✔ | ✔ |
| Dedicated half pie chart feature | ✘ Requires modifying a standard Pie Chart | ✔ |
| Requires calculating a Total value beforehand | ✔ | ✘ |
| Requires including the Total value in the chart data | ✔ | ✘ |
| Requires inserting a standard Pie Chart first | ✔ | ✘ |
| Requires manually removing the Total legend entry | ✔ | ✘ |
| Requires manually hiding the Total data point | ✔ | ✘ |
| Requires setting Fill to No Fill | ✔ | ✘ |
| Requires setting Outline to No Outline | ✔ | ✘ |
| Half-circle Pie Chart option | ✔ Created manually | ✔ Select directly in dialog |
| Semi-circular Ring Chart option | Not demonstrated in the Excel method | ✔ Select directly in dialog |
| Select Axis Labels directly | Uses the selected source range | ✔ Select directly in dialog |
| Select Series Values directly | Uses the selected source range | ✔ Select directly in dialog |
| Chart rotation | Optional manual adjustment through Format Data Series | Automatically arranged during chart creation |
| Requires formulas | Only if the Total value needs to be calculated | ✘ |
| Requires VBA / coding | ✘ | ✘ |
| Manual chart-formatting effort | Moderate | Low |
| Main setup process | Prepare data containing a Total value, insert a standard Pie Chart, remove the Total legend entry, select the Total data point, set it to No Fill and No Outline, and optionally adjust the chart rotation. | Select the data without a Total value, choose Kutools > Charts > Category Comparison > Half Pie Chart, select Half-circle Pie Chart or Semi-circular Ring Chart, confirm the Axis Labels and Series Values, and click OK. |
| Best for | Users who want a built-in Excel solution and do not mind manually hiding part of a standard pie chart | Quickly creating half pie or semi-circular ring charts without preparing a Total value or manually hiding chart elements |
| Ease of use | Moderate | Very easy |
Create a half pie chart
1. Select all the data range and click Insert > Insert Pie or Dounughnut Chart > Pie. See screenshot:
2. Click at the Legend Entry of Total, and then click it again to select it, then remove the Legend Entry of Total, see screenshots:
3. Click at the “Total” half pie, then click it again to select this half pie. Then right click to show the Mini toolbar, then click the arrow beside Fill, and choose No Fill to make the Total series look transparent. See screenshot:
4. Click the arrow of the Shape Outline, and select No Outline in the list. See screenshot:
Note: In Excel 2007, you can hide the half pie of Series “Total” with following steps:
(1) Right click the half pie, and select Format Data Point from the context menu;
(2) In the coming Format Data Point dialog box, click the Fill in left bar, and check the No Fill;
(3) Click the Border Color in the left bar, and check the No line;
(4) Click the Close button.
Then the whole pie become a half pie. Now you can rotate it if you need.
Optional: Right-click the pie and select Format Data Series, then specify the angle you need in the pane that appears.
Clicks to create a half pie chart or semi-circular ring chart by a handy tool
Kutools for Excel’s Half Pie Chart feature create a half pie chart or semi-circular ring chart with several clicks which will save much time for you in daily creating chart.
Kutools for Excel’s Charts group including dozens of smart and good-look charts which not only enhance your working efficiency, but also make your chart report out of ordinary.
1. Select the data range excluding total value (with Half Pie Chart, it does not need to calculate the total value before), click Kutools > Charts > Category Comparison > Half Pie Chart.
2. In the Half Pie Chart dialog, check Half -circle Pie Chart or Semi-circular Ring Chart options in Chart Type section, then go to Select Data section to check the axis labels and series values ranges. Click OK.
Then the chart will be created.
Conclusion
Excel's built-in method can create a half pie chart without an add-in, but it achieves the effect by using a standard pie chart and hiding the Total data point. Users need to include a Total value in the source data, remove its legend entry, set the corresponding pie section to No Fill and No Outline, and optionally adjust the rotation angle to obtain the desired layout.
Kutools for Excel's Half Pie Chart provides a more direct approach. There is no need to calculate or include a Total value beforehand. Users can select the original data, choose between a Half-circle Pie Chart and a Semi-circular Ring Chart, confirm the axis labels and series values, and click OK. This eliminates the need to create and then hide an artificial Total section, making the process faster and easier to repeat.
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