What is a pie chart and how to use it?

Quick Pie Chart Creation in PowerPoint

PowerPoint simplifies pie chart creation through its intuitive interface. The chart is created in a few steps and updates automatically when you modify data. If you want professional charts perfectly integrated with your visual identity, our presentation design agency creates custom data visualizations.

Creation in 5 steps:

1. Insert > Chart - Select Pie (2D recommended)

2. Enter data in the Excel sheet that opens automatically

3. Customize colors via Design > Chart Styles

4. Add labels with percentages (Design > Add Element)

5. Adjust size and position chart on slide

Sector Angle Calculation

Each angle is calculated with the formula: Angle = (Value / Total) × 360°. For example, a category representing 25% of the total occupies 90 degrees (0.25 × 360).

⚠️ Caution: Always verify that percentage sum equals 100%. A calculation error will distort interpretation.

Practical Use Cases

Budget Distribution

Pie charts excel at visualizing resource allocation. Here's an annual marketing budget example:

Creation process:

1. Identify 4-8 main budget items

2. Calculate amounts allocated to each item

3. Create pie chart with labels including amounts and percentages

4. Explode main sector to highlight it

Market Share Distribution

Instantly visualize competitive positions, particularly useful for sales presentations:

Demographic Composition

Age ranges, geographic distributions, or customer segments naturally form categories for pie charts. This data is essential for customer relationship management:

Design Best Practices

Optimal Number of Categories

The golden rule: 5-7 categories maximum. Beyond this, sectors become too small and difficult to distinguish.

Managing small values:

• Group categories < 5% into "Others"
• Remove values < 3% if not relevant
• Create second pie chart detailing "Others" if necessary

Color Usage

Essential principles:

• High contrast between adjacent sectors
• Consistency with your brand guidelines
• Accessibility for colorblind (avoid only red-green)
• Visual hierarchy: bright colors for important, pastels for secondary
• Maximum 5-7 different colors

Effective Labels

Checklist for clear labels:

• [ ] Readable font, minimum size 10-12 pt
• [ ] Sufficient text/background contrast
• [ ] Rounded percentages (one decimal max: 34.5%)
• [ ] Short category name (2-4 words)
• [ ] Consistent alignment

Optimal placement:

• Sectors > 15%: labels inside in white
• Sectors < 15%: external labels with leader lines
• Long names: use separate legend

Animation and Emphasis in PowerPoint

Sector Animation

Animation transforms data revelation into captivating narrative experience.

PowerPoint configuration:

1. Select the pie chart

2. Animations > Add Animation > Wipe

3. Effect Options > Chart Animation > By element in series

4. Set to "On Click" for manual control

5. Add 0.5-1 second delay between sectors

Emphasis Techniques

Impact hierarchy (from strongest to most subtle):

1. Explosion + bright color for key sector (maximum impact)

2. Saturated color for important, pastels for others

3. Larger font for main label

4. Text annotation with arrow pointing to sector

5. Differentiated animation: key sector appears last with zoom

Adding annotations:

• Use Insert > Text Boxes for comments
• Add arrows (Insert > Shapes) pointing to key sectors
• Keep annotations concise (5-10 words maximum)
• Use rhetorical techniques like anaphora to reinforce key messages

When to Use Bar Chart

Pie charts have limits. Bar charts are preferable for:

⚠️ Caution: To compare distributions over time, favor 100% stacked bars rather than multiple side-by-side pie charts.

Bar advantages:

• Superior reading precision
• Many categories managed without confusion
• Comparisons facilitated by common alignment
• Null values visible (0% sector invisible in pie chart)

Data Preparation Checklist

Before creating your pie chart, verify:

• [ ] Clearly defined and named categories
• [ ] Complete numeric values for each category
• [ ] No overlap between categories
• [ ] Sum of values = 100% of total
• [ ] "Others" category for values < 5%
• [ ] Maximum 5-7 visible categories
• [ ] Organized data: names column + values column

⚠️ Caution: Avoid mixing data of different nature (e.g., financial amounts and already calculated percentages).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between pie chart and circular diagram?

No difference: both terms designate the same graph. "Pie chart" is the common English term, while "circular diagram" is the official technical terminology.

How many categories can be displayed in a pie chart?

The optimal limit is between 3 and 7 categories. Beyond 7 sectors, group minor values (< 5%) into "Others" or use a bar chart.

When should you prefer a bar chart?

Favor bars for: comparing multiple distributions, more than 7 categories, reading precision need, or small differences between categories. Bars allow more precise visual comparison.

Should you use 3D pie charts?

No, 3D pie charts are not recommended because perspective distorts proportions and makes reading less precise. Background sectors appear smaller than they are. Favor 2D pie charts.

Conclusion

The pie chart is a powerful tool for visualizing proportions and simple distributions. Limit yourself to 5-7 categories, use contrasting colors, and create directly in PowerPoint to maintain flexibility. For complex comparisons or many categories, prefer bar charts. Master animations and emphasis to transform your data into captivating visual narrative during your presentations. To deepen your visual communication skills, also consult our guides on how to make an effective speech to accompany your charts.