Donut Charts
GUIDEWhat a donut chart shows, how it differs from a pie, when to use one, and the traps to avoid.
A donut chart (or doughnut chart) is a pie chart with a hole in the center: a ring split into arcs that each show one category's share of a whole. Use it for a few parts that add up to 100%, especially when you want to print the total or a key percentage in the middle.
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?
What a donut chart looks like
Picture a ring. The ring is cut into coloured arcs, one per category, and the arcs together go all the way around, so the full ring is 100%. The hole in the middle is the only visual difference from a pie. Most donuts start the first slice at 12 o'clock and run clockwise from largest to smallest, with a legend or direct labels for each arc and a figure in the center. A half-ring version, often called a gauge or semi-donut, is common for showing a single progress value such as 70% complete.
Donut chart vs pie chart
| Pie chart | Donut chart | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Solid circle cut into wedges | Ring cut into arcs |
| How you judge a slice | Angle, area and arc length | Mostly arc length |
| Center | Part of the data | Free for a total or label |
| Best for | Simple one-off splits | Dashboards, cards, showing a total |
| Data it needs | One whole split into a few parts that sum to 100% | |
In other words, the choice between the two is mostly about layout. If you are still deciding whether a circular chart is right at all, the pie vs bar chart comparison covers when bars are the better option.
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.
If you can phrase your takeaway as "X is [a fraction] of the total," a donut fits. If your takeaway is "X is bigger than Y by [an exact amount]," reach for a bar chart instead — the same advice applies to pies.
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.
Why doughnut charts can be difficult to read
Donuts get criticised for good reasons, and knowing them helps you design around them:
- No center angle. In a pie, the point where wedges meet helps you judge each angle. Removing it leaves only the curved arcs, which are harder to compare.
- Similar slices look identical. Arcs of 22% and 26% are almost impossible to tell apart without labels.
- Thin slivers. Small categories become slivers too narrow to label, forcing readers back and forth to a legend.
- Nested rings mislead. In a multi-ring donut the outer ring is physically longer, so the same percentage looks bigger outside than inside.
The fix is simple: keep slices few, sort them by size, put the percentage directly on or beside each arc, and use a bar chart when the exact differences matter.
Donut chart ideas: good data to show
A donut works whenever one meaningful total splits into a handful of parts. Some typical examples:
- A monthly or project budget split by spending category, with the total in the center.
- Website visits by device type: desktop, mobile, tablet.
- Answers to a single survey question, such as satisfied, neutral, dissatisfied.
- How a day's 24 hours are spent: sleep, work, travel, leisure.
- Task progress: done, in progress, not started, with the percentage done in the middle.
To check your numbers before drawing, the pie chart angle calculator converts each value into its share and slice angle, which applies equally to donut arcs.
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
Too many slices turn the ring into a band of unreadable slivers — keep to about six categories. Slices that don't sum to 100% mean your categories aren't a true whole, so a donut is the wrong tool. A center number that doesn't match the slices confuses readers, so make sure the total in the hole is genuinely the sum of the parts. And rainbow colour schemes with no order make the chart harder, not easier, to scan.
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.
Frequently asked questions
How does a donut chart look?
A donut chart looks like a ring: a pie chart with a circular hole cut out of the middle. The ring is divided into coloured arcs, one per category, and the arcs together make up the full circle. The empty center often shows a total or a key percentage.
What shape is a donut chart?
A donut chart is an annulus, the ring-shaped area between two circles that share the same center. Each slice is a curved segment of that ring, and a half-ring version is often used as a gauge.
Is a donut chart a graph?
Yes. A donut chart is a type of graph for showing parts of a whole, and it is a variation of the pie chart. In spreadsheet tools it is usually listed as a doughnut chart under the pie chart options.
When should you use a donut chart?
Use a donut chart when you are showing how one total splits into a few parts, ideally six or fewer, and you also want to display the total or a headline figure in the center. For precise comparisons, many categories or change over time, use a bar or line chart instead.
Why are doughnut charts difficult to read?
Without the center, readers cannot use the angle at the middle to judge slices and must compare curved arc lengths, which the eye estimates poorly. Slices of similar size look identical, thin slices are hard to label, and multi-ring doughnuts make outer rings look bigger than inner ones.
What is a good statistic idea for a donut chart?
Good donut chart data is a single total split into a few categories that add up to 100 percent: a monthly budget by spending category, website visits by device type, survey answers to one question, time spent on activities in a day, or tasks done versus remaining.