Create radial bar chart in Excel

In Excel, the radial bar chart evolves from the classical bar chart, it is also called as multilayered doughnut chart because of its layout as below screenshot shown. Comparing with the normal bar chart, the radial bar chart is displayed on a polar coordinate system, which is more professional and impressive for people, furthermore, it allows for a better use of space than a long bar chart. This article, I will talk about how to create this type of chart step by step in Excel.

• Create radial bar chart in Excel
• Create radial bar chart in Excel with a handy feature
• Download Radial Bar Chart sample file
• Video: Create radial bar chart in Excel

Create radial bar chart in Excel

Supposing, you have a list of sale orders for each month as following screenshot shown, to create a radial bar chart based on these data, please do with the following steps:

First, create the helper column data

1. First, please insert a new blank row below the header row, and then type the following formula into cell C2, and press the Enter key to get the result, see screenshot:

2. Go on entering the below formula into cell C3, and drag the fill handle down to the cells to apply this formula, see screenshot:

3. After getting the first helper data, then create the second helper data which is used as the data label for the chart, please enter the below formula into cell D3, and then drag the fill handle down to the cells for filling this formula, see screenshot:

Second, create the chart based on the data

4. Select the data range from A3 to C7, and then click Insert > Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart > Doughnut, see screenshot:

5. And a chart has been inserted into the sheet, now, select the chart, then click Switch Row/Column under the Design tab, see screenshot:

6. Then, you will get a chart as below screenshot shown:

7. Right click the doughnut and choose Format Data Series from the context menu, see screenshot:

8. In the opened Format Data Series pane, under the Series Options tab, choose the Doughnut Hole Size and set it to 25%. See screenshot:

9. And then, double click to select the outer ring (the orange ring), and then select No Fill from the Fill section under the Fill & Line tab, see screenshot:

10. Repeat the above step to fill No fill for the inner slices one by one, and all the orange slices are invisible, see screenshot:

11. Now, please double click to select the first blue slice and fill it with a color you like, and then fill other blue slices with different colors you need, see screenshot:

12. Then, you should add the data labels to the chart, please click Insert > Text Box > Draw Horizontal Text Box, and then insert a text box as you need, and then, select the inserted text box, and jump to the formula bar, type =$D$7 to create a linked cell to text box, see screenshot:

13. Then repeat the above step to insert the text boxes for the other 4 slices and link with cell D6, D5, D4, D3 from outer to inner ring. And then, you can format the text box with no fill and no border as you need, then you will get the chart as below screenshot shown:

14. After inserting the text box, then hold the Ctrl key to select all the text boxes, and then right click, choose Group > Group to group the text boxes together, see screenshot:

15. Then, you should group the text box with the chart, press Ctrl key to select the text box and the chart arear, and then right click to choose Group > Group, see screenshot:

16. Finally, the radial bar chart has been created successfully, when moving the chart, the data labels will be moved as well.

Create radial bar chart in Excel with a handy feature

Download Radial Bar Chart sample file

Video: Create radial bar chart in Excel