Learning how to make a pie-of-pie chart in Excel takes only a few minutes, and it solves a common headache: a regular pie chart crowded with tiny, unreadable slices. A pie-of-pie chart pulls the smallest slices out of the main pie and shows them in a second, smaller pie. The result is easier to read and far more useful in reports and presentations.
Key Takeaways
- Arrange the data in two columns, with category names on the left and values on the right, and leave out any total row.
- Select the data, then choose Insert, Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart, and Pie of Pie.
- Open Format Data Series to control which slices move to the second pie using Position, Value, Percentage value, or Custom.
- Add data labels and adjust the second plot size and gap width so the chart reads cleanly.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Pie-of-Pie Chart in Excel
Prepare the Data
- Step 1: Enter the categories in one column and their values in the next column, with a header in each. For example, a sales sheet might list product names in column A and revenue in column B.
- Step 2: Remove any grand total row from the range. A total included in the selection becomes its own giant slice and ruins the proportions.
- Step 3: Sort the values from largest to smallest. This is optional, but it makes the default split behave predictably because the smallest items end up at the bottom of the list.
Tip: Pie charts plot only one data series, so keep the selection to a single column of values. Extra numeric columns are ignored or can confuse the chart.
Insert the Chart
- Step 4: Click and drag to select the category column and the value column, headers included.
- Step 5: Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon.
- Step 6: In the Charts group, click the Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart button.
- Step 7: Under 2-D Pie, choose Pie of Pie. Excel places the chart on the worksheet right away, with a main pie on the left and a smaller pie on the right.
Control Which Slices Move to the Second Pie
- Step 8: Right-click any slice in the chart and choose Format Data Series. The Format Data Series pane opens on the right side of the window.
- Step 9: Under Series Options, open the Split Series By drop-down. The available choices are Position, Value, Percentage value, and Custom.
- Step 10: Pick the method that fits the data:
- Position moves the last few items in the list to the second pie. The Values in second plot box sets how many, and the default is 3.
- Value moves every item below a number the user sets. The Values less than box controls the cutoff.
- Percentage value moves every item below a chosen percentage of the total. The Percentage less than box controls the cutoff.
- Custom lets each slice be assigned by hand, covered in the next section.
- Step 11: Excel combines everything in the second pie into a single slice in the main pie, labeled Other by default. That slice is the link between the two pies, and the connector lines show which slice is being broken down.
Tip: Percentage value is usually the most reliable option when the data changes often. A rule such as ‘anything under 5 percent goes to the second pie’ keeps working even when the numbers are updated, while a fixed position count may not.
Choose Slices by Hand with Custom Split
- Step 12: In Format Data Series, set Split Series By to Custom.
- Step 13: Click a single slice in the chart so only that data point is selected.
- Step 14: In the Format Data Point pane, find the Point Belongs To drop-down and choose First Plot or Second Plot.
- Step 15: Repeat for each slice that needs to move. This works well when the grouping is based on meaning, such as putting all minor regions together, rather than size alone.
Add Labels and Fine-Tune the Layout
- Step 16: Click the chart, then click the plus icon (Chart Elements) beside it and check Data Labels. Use the arrow next to Data Labels to choose a position.
- Step 17: To show category names and percentages, right-click a label, choose Format Data Labels, and tick Category Name and Percentage under Label Options.
- Step 18: Back in Format Data Series, adjust Second Plot Size to make the second pie larger or smaller relative to the first. Adjust Gap Width to change the space between the two pies.
- Step 19: Click the chart title and type a clear name that describes what the chart shows.
Common Problems and Fixes
The Wrong Items Appear in the Second Pie
With the Position setting, Excel takes the last items in the data range, not the smallest ones. Sort the data from largest to smallest, or switch Split Series By to Value or Percentage value so the split follows size instead of order.
One Huge Slice Dominates the Chart
This almost always means a total row was included in the selected range. Reselect the data without the total row and the chart redraws with correct proportions.
Some Categories Are Missing from the Chart
Pie charts cannot display zero or negative values, so those rows do not appear. Check the value column for zeros, negatives, or numbers stored as text, and correct them.
Labels Overlap in the Second Pie
Increase Second Plot Size in Format Data Series to give the small slices more room. Moving labels to Outside End or dragging an individual label to a clear spot also helps.
The Chart Shows Only One Pie
If every slice stays in a single pie, the split rule is not catching any items. Raise the Values less than or Percentage less than number, or increase the Values in second plot count so at least one item qualifies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the pie-of-pie chart option in Excel?
Select the data, go to the Insert tab, click Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart in the Charts group, and choose Pie of Pie under 2-D Pie.
How do I change how many slices appear in the second pie?
Right-click the chart, choose Format Data Series, set Split Series By to Position, and change the number in the Values in second plot box.
Can I choose which slices go in the second pie myself?
Yes. Set Split Series By to Custom, click an individual slice, and use the Point Belongs To drop-down in Format Data Point to assign it to the First Plot or Second Plot.
How do I split the chart by percentage instead of position?
In Format Data Series, set Split Series By to Percentage value and enter a cutoff in the Percentage less than box. Every slice below that percentage moves to the second pie.
How do I make the second pie bigger?
Open Format Data Series and increase the Second Plot Size setting. Higher percentages make the second pie larger relative to the main pie.
How do I show percentages on a pie-of-pie chart?
Click the chart, select the plus icon for Chart Elements, check Data Labels, then right-click a label, choose Format Data Labels, and tick Percentage.
Why does the combined slice say Other?
Excel names the single slice that represents everything in the second pie as Other by default. It acts as the connection point between the main pie and the second pie.
Why is my pie-of-pie chart missing some categories?
Pie charts do not plot zero or negative values. Check the value column for zeros, negative numbers, or numbers stored as text, and fix them so every category appears.
Can I use more than one data series in a pie-of-pie chart?
No. Pie charts plot a single data series, so only one column of values can be charted at a time.
