Donut Charts

A donut chart is a pie chart with a hole punched through the middle. Each slice still represents a category's share of one whole, and the slices still fill a full circle — the only visible change is the empty center. That hole does nothing to the data, but it gives the chart a cleaner, more modern look and, usefully, a place to print a headline number such as the total. Because the underlying idea is identical to a pie, a donut answers the same single question: how is one total divided among its parts?

How a donut chart works

The full ring represents 100% of the total. Each category is drawn as an arc whose sweep is proportional to its share — a category worth a quarter of the whole spans a quarter of the ring, one worth half spans a semicircle. The center is simply removed, leaving a band of constant width. Reading is identical to a pie: you compare the angular extent of each slice to judge its share, and the slices together account for one complete whole.

The one subtle trade-off is that, with the middle gone, the reader judges each slice by the length of its outer arc rather than by the area of a full wedge. For a handful of clearly-sized categories this makes no practical difference. The payoff is the hole itself, which is prime real estate for a total, a percentage, or a short label that anchors the whole chart.

When to use a donut chart

• One whole, a few parts. Exactly the pie chart's job — a budget split, a market share among the top players, responses to a single survey question.
• You want to show the total too. The empty center is the natural place to print the sum, so readers see both the breakdown and the headline number at once.
• The message is "this part dominates." Donuts, like pies, are best at showing that one slice clearly leads or that the split is roughly even.
• A cleaner, lighter look. The hollow center reads as less heavy than a solid pie, which suits dashboards and compact cards.

When not to use a donut chart

A donut inherits every weakness of the pie, so avoid it for:

• Many categories. Past about six slices the small arcs become slivers that cannot be labelled or compared. Group the tail into an "Other" slice, or switch to a bar chart.
• Precise comparison. People judge bar lengths far more accurately than arc angles. Two slices of 24% and 27% look the same in a donut but are clearly different as bars.
• Change over time. A donut is a single snapshot. To show how a composition shifts across periods, use a pie only for one moment, and a line or stacked-area chart for the trend.
• Values that are not parts of a whole. Independent quantities that do not sum to a meaningful total belong on bars, not in a ring.

How to read a donut chart

Read it exactly as you would a pie. Start with the largest slice and work down — donuts are easiest to follow when slices are ordered by size, usually clockwise from the top. Judge each arc against familiar reference fractions: half the ring is 50%, a quarter is 25%, an eighth is about 12%. Glance at the center for the total, then use the labels or legend for exact figures, since your eye only estimates the arcs. If two slices look close, trust the numbers over the picture.

Variants

The plain donut is the most common form. A thin-ring donut with a large hole reads almost like a gauge and leaves even more room for a central figure. A semi-donut (or gauge) uses only the top half of the ring, which works for a single progress value. Stacking concentric rings into a multi-level donut (sometimes called a sunburst) can show a hierarchy, but it quickly gets hard to read and is usually better served by other charts. For most purposes, a single ring with a few well-sized slices is the right call.

Common mistakes to avoid

Make a donut chart

Ready to build one? The pie chart maker includes a donut style — enter labels and values (or paste a CSV), switch to the donut, set a center total, recolour slices, and export a PNG or SVG — free, no signup, no watermark.