Excel Pie Chart With Breakdown of Slices: How to Make One

To show the detail behind one slice in Excel, create a Pie of Pie or Bar of Pie chart. Select your category and value columns, then choose Insert > Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart and select the chart type; use Format Data Series to decide which smaller categories move into the second plot.

What a pie chart with a slice breakdown means

A standard pie chart shows each category as one wedge of a total. A Pie of Pie chart takes selected categories out of the main pie and displays them as individual wedges in a smaller pie. The main pie replaces those categories with one combined wedge, often labelled “Other.” A Bar of Pie chart does the same thing but displays the detailed categories in a small bar chart instead of a second pie.

For example, imagine sales of phones, laptops, tablets, headphones, chargers, cases, and cables. The first three categories might be large enough to read easily, while the remaining four form small wedges. A Pie of Pie chart can show the small categories individually in the secondary pie and combine them into one “Other” wedge in the main chart. The categories in the secondary plot add up to the value of that combined wedge.

This is a static chart layout, not a drill-down control: clicking the combined wedge does not open a new view. It is useful when you want to show a small-category breakdown and the overall proportions at the same time.

When this chart type is useful

Use a breakdown chart when the main point is the contribution of a few large categories, but smaller categories still matter. It can make a busy chart easier to read without discarding the underlying detail. Common examples include a budget with several minor expense types, survey responses with many low-frequency answers, or product sales where a few products dominate.

It is not automatically better than a regular pie chart. The extra plot adds visual complexity, and viewers must connect the detailed wedges to the combined wedge. If the goal is to compare many categories precisely, a sorted bar chart is usually easier to interpret because lengths are simpler to compare than angles. Keep a Pie of Pie or Bar of Pie for cases where part-to-whole context is important and the number of categories is manageable.

Prepare the source data

Arrange the data as one column of category names and one column of numeric values, with a clear header row. For instance, put product names in A1:A8 and sales in B1:B8. Each row should represent one category, and the values should refer to the same measure and period. Avoid adding a separate “Other” row if you want Excel to calculate the combined slice from the categories moved to the second plot; otherwise, the chart may double-count or misrepresent the breakdown.

Check the data before inserting the chart:

Use nonnegative values. Pie charts represent portions of a whole, so negative values do not have a meaningful slice.
Make sure the categories are mutually exclusive and collectively describe the total you want to show.
Remove blank rows and check that numeric values are stored as numbers, not text.
Sort the rows in a deliberate order if you plan to split categories by position. In that setting, row order determines which items go to the secondary plot.

Excel calculates each slice as a share of the series total. If a category is accidentally omitted from the selected range, the displayed percentages describe only the included rows, not the full dataset.

Create a Pie of Pie or Bar of Pie chart

In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select the category and value range, including the headers. Then follow these steps:

Open the Insert tab.
Select Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart in the Charts group.
Under the 2-D Pie options, choose Pie of Pie or Bar of Pie.
Click the chart title and replace it with a specific title that identifies the measure and, if useful, the time period.
Review the categories in both plots. If Excel has split the wrong items, change the split settings rather than rearranging the source data without checking the consequences.

The first pie shows the larger categories alongside one combined slice for the categories assigned to the second plot. The smaller plot shows those assigned categories separately. Excel adds connectors to indicate the relationship between the combined slice and its details. The two plot areas do not represent separate totals: the detail in the second plot is already included in the combined slice of the first.

On Mac, the same chart concept is available in desktop Excel, though the ribbon layout and wording can vary by release. In Excel for the web, chart creation and formatting options can differ from the desktop app; if the Pie of Pie or Bar of Pie choice is not available, open the workbook in desktop Excel to create or adjust it.

Choose which categories move to the second plot

To control the split, right-click a pie slice and select Format Data Series. In the Format Data Series pane, open Series Options and use Split Series By. Depending on the data and chart, Excel offers ways to split by position, value, percentage, or a custom selection. The precise controls shown can depend on the selected split method.

Position: moves a chosen number of categories, typically the last items in the source order, to the second plot. Reorder the rows first if you want particular categories to be the last ones.
Value: moves categories that meet the value threshold you set. This can help isolate categories with small totals.
Percentage: uses a threshold based on each category’s share of the series total.
Custom: lets you assign specific data points to the second plot. Select a point and use its data-point formatting options to place it in the secondary plot.

Look for the setting that controls how many values appear in the second plot or the threshold used for the split. For a position-based split, changing the number of values changes how many categories are detailed. For value- or percentage-based splits, review the result because a small threshold change can move several categories at once. A custom split gives the most direct control when the categories you want to highlight are not simply the last or smallest ones.

Label the slices so the breakdown is clear

Data labels can show category names, values, and percentages. Select the chart, use Chart Design > Add Chart Element > Data Labels, and choose an initial label position. To choose exactly what appears, right-click a label and select Format Data Labels. In the label options, enable only the items readers need. Category name plus percentage is often more useful than displaying every possible value on every slice.

When labels overlap, do not solve the problem simply by shrinking them until they are unreadable. Remove unnecessary label fields, widen the chart, or move labels outside the pie where the layout permits. A legend can identify categories, but it may be harder to match many colors across two plots. Keep the chart title, labels, and any note about the grouping consistent; if the main chart calls the combined wedge “Other,” make clear that the secondary plot contains the categories included in that total.

Percentages in the main pie and secondary pie have different visual contexts: the second pie represents the combined group, while its individual wedges show the composition of that group. If your audience might assume every percentage is a share of the original total, add a clarifying note or label values as well. The underlying chart data still represents one series, but a secondary-plot percentage can be interpreted relative to that plot, so check the displayed labels carefully.

Make the chart easier to interpret

A useful breakdown is selective, not exhaustive. Put only the categories that are difficult to read in the secondary plot, and leave the dominant categories visible in the main pie. Too many slices in either plot defeat the purpose. Use meaningful category names rather than abbreviations that require readers to decode them, and avoid relying on color alone to communicate the relationship.

Consider whether the chart needs a source note, unit, or timeframe. “Sales” alone may be ambiguous if the figures could mean units, dollars, or orders; a title such as “2025 sales by product (units)” is more informative. If values are rounded for labels, make sure the rounded figures do not imply a total that conflicts with the source data. Retain the worksheet data alongside the chart so readers can inspect exact values.

Common problems and how to fix them

The wrong categories appear in the second plot: check Split Series By and its threshold or position count. If using Position, remember that source-row order affects the result.
The “Other” slice is missing or confusing: confirm that categories have actually been assigned to the secondary plot. Add clear category labels and explain that the combined slice equals the detailed categories.
The chart shows only one slice or looks incorrect: check that the selected range includes both category names and numeric values, and that the values are genuine numbers. A single category, or values that do not vary, cannot show a useful comparison.
Labels collide: reduce the amount of label information, adjust label placement, or make the chart larger. If many small categories remain, use a bar chart instead.
The proportions seem wrong: verify that the selected rows are the intended complete set and that no negative values or separately entered “Other” total distort the data.

Also distinguish a breakdown chart from a chart with several series. Pie charts are designed to display one data series at a time. If you select multiple value columns, Excel may choose one series or produce a chart that does not answer the question you intended. For comparing categories across multiple years, regions, or product lines, use a clustered or stacked bar/column chart rather than trying to put several series into one pie.

How it compares with other ways to show detail

A Pie of Pie is appropriate when readers need to see the whole and the components of a small group together. A Bar of Pie can give longer category labels more room, although it still requires readers to relate the secondary plot to the combined slice. A regular bar chart is generally better for ranking categories or comparing close values. A stacked bar chart is useful when comparing how components make up totals across multiple groups.

Another option is to keep the pie chart simple and place a small table next to it listing the categories included in “Other.” That can be clearer when exact values matter more than a second visual encoding. If the chart must support interactive exploration, consider a PivotChart or a dashboard design with filters instead; a Pie of Pie itself does not provide click-to-expand behavior.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I split one slice of a pie chart in Excel?
Use a Pie of Pie or Bar of Pie chart, then assign the categories that make up the combined slice to the secondary plot through Format Data Series. Excel does not turn a regular wedge into an interactive expandable control.

Can I choose exactly which slices go into the breakdown?
Yes. Use the custom split option in Series Options and assign individual data points to the second plot. If you split by position instead, the order of the source rows determines which categories move.

Can I rename the “Other” slice?
The combined category is generated from the values in the secondary plot, and its displayed label can depend on the chart’s data-label setup. Adjust the data labels or add a text box to clarify the group, but do not change the underlying values in a way that counts the detail twice.

Why do the percentages in the smaller pie look different?
The secondary pie is a closer view of the categories grouped together in the main chart. Its slices show how that group is composed, not necessarily each category’s share of the entire original total. Check the label settings and explain the denominator if readers could mistake one for the other.

Should I use Pie of Pie or Bar of Pie?
Choose Pie of Pie when the categories have short labels and part-to-whole appearance is important. Choose Bar of Pie when a bar layout gives the detailed categories more room. If precise ranking or comparison is the priority, use a standard bar chart instead.

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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