Create a Full-Circle KPI Chart in Excel: Step-by-Step

To create a full-circle KPI chart in Excel, enter a progress value and its remainder as two numbers, select them, then choose Insert > Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart > Doughnut. Format the two segments as progress and track, and place a linked percentage in the doughnut’s center to make the KPI easy to read.

What a full-circle KPI chart shows

A full-circle KPI chart is usually a doughnut chart used as a compact progress indicator. The ring represents the whole measure: one colored segment shows progress toward a goal, and the other shows what remains. For example, a 72% KPI has a 72% progress arc and a 28% remainder arc. Together they always make one complete circle.

This is different from a semicircular speedometer-style gauge. A doughnut chart does not have a built-in needle, scale, or target zones; it is a simple visual comparison of two values. It works well for a small number of prominent KPIs, such as completion rate, service-level attainment, or monthly sales against a target. It is less effective when readers need to compare many values precisely, since estimating angles is harder than reading a bar or a number.

Prepare the KPI and chart data

Start with a percentage between 0% and 100%. In this example, enter the KPI value in cell B2 and format it as a percentage. Put chart labels in A5:A6 and the values that will draw the ring in B5:B6. The first chart value is progress; the second is the uncompleted portion.

A5: Progress; B5: the KPI percentage.
A6: Remaining; B6: the amount needed to complete 100%.

With the KPI percentage in B2, and the chart data labels in A5:A6, enter this in B5:

=B2

With the same layout, enter this in B6:

=1-B2

If B2 contains 72%, B5 returns 72% and B6 returns 28%. Those two chart values total 100%, so the chart draws a complete ring. Check that the KPI is stored as a percentage or decimal, not the whole number 72: Excel treats 72 as 7,200% when used as a proportion. You can type 72% directly, or enter 0.72 and apply Percentage format.

Insert the doughnut chart

Select A5:B6, including both labels and values.
On the Windows ribbon, choose Insert > Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart > Doughnut.
Move and resize the chart near the KPI value or dashboard area. A roughly square chart shape makes the ring easier to position and read.
If the chart uses the wrong labels or values, select it and choose Chart Design > Select Data. Confirm that Progress and Remaining are the category labels and that B5:B6 are the series values.

Excel plots the two values as slices of a complete 360-degree doughnut. The chart is linked to its source cells, so changing B2 recalculates B5 and B6 and updates the ring. If you add more KPI rows later, give each chart its own two-value source range or build a separate chart for each measure; a single doughnut with many categories is no longer a simple progress indicator.

Format the ring and its starting point

Click the ring, then open Format Data Series. In Series Options, adjust Doughnut Hole Size to control how thick the ring looks. A smaller hole makes a heavier ring; a larger hole leaves more room for a central number. There is no universally correct setting, so choose a thickness that remains visible at the chart’s final on-screen or printed size.

To color the slices separately, select the progress slice and use Format Data Point to set its fill color. Select the remaining slice and give it a quieter neutral color. If selecting a single slice is difficult, click the ring once to select the series, then click the desired slice again to select that data point. Avoid relying on color alone: a label or a clearly displayed percentage helps readers understand the measure, including when the chart is printed in grayscale.

In Format Data Series, Angle of first slice rotates the ring. Adjust it to choose where the progress segment begins or ends; the best angle depends on the visual direction you want. Excel’s preview makes this easy to check. You can also remove an unnecessary legend or chart title by selecting it and pressing Delete, then reduce chart-area borders or fills if they clutter the dashboard. Keep the remainder slice visible: hiding it would make the chart look like an incomplete ring rather than a full-circle measure.

Add a KPI value in the center

A centered number makes the chart understandable without requiring the reader to estimate the arc. Insert a text box over the doughnut hole using Insert > Text Box, draw it inside the hole, and select the text box border. With the KPI percentage in B2, click the formula bar, type the following cell reference, and press Enter:

=B2

The text box displays the value from B2 and updates when that cell changes. Format B2 as a percentage with the desired decimal places before linking it; the text box reflects the cell’s displayed number format. Center the text horizontally and vertically, remove the box’s fill and outline, and place it over the hole. Make sure the box is not so large that it covers the colored arc.

You can add a short descriptor such as “Complete” or “On-time delivery” in a separate text box near the chart. For a small dashboard, keep the measure name visible outside the ring and the percentage inside it. Avoid adding several labels or values to the hole: the central space is limited, and extra text can become unreadable when the chart is resized.

Use actual results and targets

If you have a raw result and a target rather than a ready-made percentage, calculate attainment first. For instance, put the actual result, 36, in B2 and the target, 50, in B3. With that layout, enter this in B4:

=IF(B3=0,0,MIN(B2/B3,1))

The formula returns 72% for 36 divided by 50. It returns zero if the target is zero, avoiding a division-by-zero error, and caps the chart value at 100% if the actual result exceeds the target. Capping is useful for a progress ring that must remain a single completed circle, but it conceals how far above target the result went. Show the actual result separately, or use a bar chart if over-target performance matters.

With attainment in B4, and the chart labels Progress and Remaining in A7:A8, use these chart values:

=B4

in B7, and:

=1-B4

in B8. At 36 against 50, those cells return 72% and 28%. If your KPI can be negative, or if its meaningful range is not zero to target, decide how to represent that range before using a progress ring. A simple progress-versus-remainder chart is not a substitute for a metric definition.

Common problems and practical fixes

The ring is missing or appears as one color: Check that the two source values are numeric, nonnegative, and not both zero. Confirm that the selected data range includes both progress and remainder.
The progress looks larger than expected: Verify that the percentage is a decimal proportion such as 0.72 or a percent such as 72%, not the number 72. Check that the remaining value is calculated as one minus the percentage.
The center value does not update: Select the text box border, not its text, and check that its formula-bar reference points to the KPI cell. Also confirm that the KPI cell itself is updating.
The arc starts in an awkward place: Change Angle of first slice in Format Data Series. This rotates the display but does not change the underlying KPI.
The chart is hard to read: Increase the chart’s size, simplify the colors, make the center value larger, or use a bar instead. A ring that looks clear on a large monitor can become too small on a printed report.

When to choose another visualization

A doughnut KPI is best when one measure and its completion percentage deserve visual emphasis. If a dashboard contains ten KPIs, repeating ten large rings can consume space and make comparisons slow. A compact table with conditional formatting, a set of data bars, or a horizontal bar chart may communicate the same values more clearly. A bar also makes small differences easier to compare because readers compare lengths against a common baseline.

For an actual-versus-target comparison where the target is a reference point, a clustered bar chart can show both values directly. For trends over time, use a line chart or a column chart rather than making a new ring for each date. Choose the doughnut when the part-to-whole relationship is genuinely useful, not simply because a circular shape looks decorative.

Excel version and editing notes

These steps are for Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows. Excel for Mac also supports doughnut charts and similar chart-formatting controls, though ribbon placement and some dialog layouts can differ. Excel for the web can create and edit charts, but the available chart-formatting controls may differ from the desktop app; if you cannot find the series options or linked-text-box controls, open the workbook in desktop Excel to finish the formatting. Keep the source cells in the workbook so another editor can see how the visual is calculated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a full-circle KPI chart without a remainder segment?
A full doughnut ring needs values that add to a whole. Use the KPI value and its remainder, such as 72% and 28%. A chart containing only the progress value may appear as a complete ring because that one slice represents 100% of the chart data.

How do I show more than 100%?
A basic progress ring is designed to fill at 100%. Keep the ring capped and display the uncapped result as a separate number, or use a bar chart or another design that can show the amount above target without implying that the ring exceeds a full circle.

Will the KPI chart update when I change the source cell?
Yes, provided the chart values use formulas linked to the KPI cell and the center text box is linked to the intended cell. Changing the source percentage then updates both the ring and its displayed value.

Can I put several KPI rings in one chart?
A doughnut chart can plot multiple series, but multiple rings can be confusing and difficult to compare. For a dashboard of separate KPIs, use separate charts with consistent sizing and colors, or choose a compact table or bar chart if comparison is the priority.

Why does my chart show a whole ring at 100%?
At 100%, the progress value is the entire chart and the remaining value is zero, so a complete single-color ring is expected. If you need to distinguish “exactly complete” from a missing remainder, add a text label or use a separate status indicator.

Try it: the Percentage Formula Generator: percent of, percent change, increase and decrease, with the formula.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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