How to Create a Circle Progress Chart in Excel

To create a circle progress chart in Excel, enter a completion percentage and its remaining amount in two cells, select those values, then choose Insert > Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart > Doughnut. Format the completed slice with a strong color, the remainder with a pale color, and place a percentage label in the center. This produces a compact circular indicator that updates when the progress value changes.

What You’ll Need

Microsoft Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows. The steps are similar in Excel for Mac, although ribbon placement and chart-formatting controls can vary slightly.
A progress value between 0% and 100%, such as 65%. Enter it as a percentage, not as the whole number 65.
A few minutes to create and format a doughnut chart. You do not need an add-in or a macro.

Step-by-Step

Set up the progress value. In a blank worksheet, enter Progress in A1 and type your current completion in B1. For example, type 65% in B1. You can also enter a decimal such as 0.65 and apply Percentage format from Home > Number, but typing 65% directly is straightforward. If the value comes from a calculation elsewhere in your workbook, make sure that calculation returns a decimal percentage between 0 and 1.
Add labels for the chart values. Enter Completed in C1 and Remaining in D1. These names help identify the two doughnut slices if you later edit the chart or add a legend. The chart itself can be made without a legend, but keeping the labels in the worksheet makes the data easier to understand and maintain.
Calculate the completed portion. With the progress value in B1 and the completed result in C2, enter =MAX(0,MIN(B1,100%)) in C2. This keeps the chart value within the useful range of zero to 100% if a value below zero or above 100% is entered by mistake. For a B1 value of 65%, C2 returns 65%. Format C2 as Percentage if Excel displays it as a decimal.
Calculate what remains. With the completed portion in C2 and the remainder in D2, enter =1-C2 in D2. At 65% progress, D2 returns 35%. Together, C2 and D2 total 100%, which is what the chart needs to show a complete circle. If your worksheet uses different cells, adjust the references in both formulas to match your layout.
Select the values and insert the doughnut chart. Select C1:D2, including the labels and calculated values. On the ribbon, choose Insert > Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart > Doughnut. Excel inserts a chart with one colored slice and one remainder slice. In Excel for Mac, use the Insert tab and choose the doughnut chart from the chart options; the exact gallery layout can differ by version.
Check that Excel has used the right data. The chart should have two slices, representing Completed and Remaining. If it shows one slice, a blank chart, or an unexpected legend, select the chart and open Chart Design > Select Data. Confirm that the chart data range includes C1:D2 and that the two values are in the same series. If the chart has the labels and values switched, use Switch Row/Column in the Select Data dialog.
Make the circle look like a progress indicator. Select the chart, right-click a slice, and choose Format Data Series. In the formatting pane, increase Doughnut Hole Size until the opening is large enough for a center label; a setting around 65% is a useful starting point, but adjust it to suit the chart size. Keep the doughnut thick enough that the progress color remains visible. In Excel for Mac, right-click or Control-click the series to open its formatting options.
Set the slice colors. Click the completed slice and choose Format Data Point, then set its fill to a clear accent color. Click the remaining slice and give it a light gray or another subdued color. Click once to select the series and, if needed, click the particular slice again to select just that data point. Avoid using two equally strong colors; readers should be able to tell immediately which part represents completed progress.
Choose where the progress begins. In Format Data Series, find Angle of first slice under Series Options. A doughnut chart normally begins near the top, but the exact visual orientation can vary with the angle setting and chart layout. Adjust the angle and inspect the result until the completed segment begins where you want it. A start near the top is familiar for dashboards, while another orientation may suit a small chart next to a label.
Remove clutter and resize the chart. Select and delete the legend if it repeats information or crowds the chart. Remove the default chart title if you plan to place your own label nearby. Drag a corner handle to resize the chart without distorting it, and use Chart Design > Add Chart Element if you want to add or remove chart elements from the ribbon. Keep enough room inside the hole for the number you intend to show.
Add a percentage in the center. Choose Insert > Text Box, draw a small box over the doughnut hole, and click its outer border so the box itself is selected. Click the formula bar, type =B1, and press Enter to link the text box to the progress cell. If your worksheet is named differently or the cell is elsewhere, use that sheet and cell reference instead. Center-align the text, increase its font size, and position it in the middle of the hole. Because it is linked to B1, changing the progress value updates the center label as well as the chart.
Finish and test the chart. Enter a different valid percentage in B1, such as 80%, and confirm that the colored slice grows and the center label changes. Then test 0% and 100% so you can see how the chart behaves at the endpoints. Add a nearby text label, if necessary, to explain what the percentage measures, such as Tasks complete or Course progress. Save the workbook after confirming the chart is readable at its intended size.

Common Mistakes

Entering 65 instead of 65%. Excel interprets 65 as a number, not as 65 percent. The formula that caps the result at 100% will therefore produce 100%, making the chart look complete. Enter 65% or 0.65 instead, and format the cell as Percentage if needed.

Charting only the completed value. A doughnut chart needs a second value for the uncompleted portion. If the completed value is 65% and the other value is missing, Excel has no remainder slice to draw. Use the completed value and its complement, which should add up to 100%.

Using a total that does not equal 100%. If the two chart values add to more or less than 100%, Excel still draws a circle, but each slice is scaled against their combined total. The chart can then imply a different completion percentage than the worksheet value. Check the helper formulas and their referenced cells.

Making the remainder too prominent. A dark or bright remainder slice can compete with the progress color. Choose a muted fill for the remainder, and avoid relying on color alone if the chart must be accessible; add a clear percentage and descriptive text.

Tips

Keep the input cell separate from the helper values. That makes it easier to identify what should be edited and reduces the chance that someone overwrites a formula. You can shade the input cell or add a note explaining the expected range. For a group of progress indicators, use the same colors, hole size, font, and chart dimensions so readers can compare them consistently.

Consider using a data validation rule to prevent out-of-range entries. Select the input cell, choose Data > Data Validation, set Allow to Decimal, and set a minimum of 0 and maximum of 1. This accepts values from 0% to 100% when the cell is formatted as a percentage. The clamping formula is still useful as a safeguard, especially if the progress value is linked to another calculation.

For a clean dashboard, remove the chart border and background fill if they do not help the design, and align the chart with nearby cells or objects. Use a large enough chart that the center label is legible, but avoid stretching it into an oval. If you copy the chart, check that its data references point to the intended progress cells.

Troubleshooting

The chart looks like a full ring. Check that both C2 and D2 are included in the chart data and that the remainder formula returns a positive value. At 100% progress, a full ring is expected because the remaining amount is zero. At 65%, the chart should show an accent segment and a remainder segment.

The chart does not change when you edit the percentage. Confirm that C2 refers to B1, D2 refers to C2, and the chart uses C2:D2. If calculation is set to Manual, choose Formulas > Calculation Options > Automatic, or press F9 to recalculate. On a Mac, use the Formulas tab to find calculation options; the location can vary with the Excel version.

The center number shows as 0.65 or does not update. Select the linked text box by its border, not by clicking inside its text, and verify the reference in the formula bar. Format B1 as Percentage. If you typed the number directly into the text box, remove it and link the box to B1 again. If the label overlaps the chart, resize the text box and move it within the doughnut hole.

The chart has the wrong orientation or colors. Use Angle of first slice to rotate the chart, and reselect individual data points to set their fills. If selecting a slice is difficult, click the chart once, then click the target slice again. If a legend or title returns after editing, select it and delete it or adjust chart elements from Chart Design.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a circle progress chart without formulas?
Yes. Enter the completed and remaining amounts manually, such as 65% and 35%, and chart those two cells. Formulas are preferable when progress changes, because they keep the remainder correct automatically.

Can the chart update from a percentage in another cell?
Yes. Point the completed-value formula to that cell, calculate the remaining value from the completed result, and make sure the doughnut chart uses the helper values. Link the center text box to the source percentage cell as well.

Can Excel show the percentage in the center automatically?
A doughnut chart does not automatically place a live label in its hole. Insert a text box and link it to the percentage cell, or type a label manually. Linking the box is better when the value changes often.

Can I show progress above 100%?
The example formula deliberately caps the displayed progress at 100% because a standard progress ring represents a portion of one complete circle. If exceeding the target matters, show the actual value as a separate label or use a different chart design; do not let the ring imply more than a full circle.

Will the chart work in Excel for Mac or Excel for the web?
Doughnut charts and the basic formatting steps are available in current Excel for Mac and Excel for the web, though menus and formatting controls may look different. If a linked text box or a particular chart-formatting control is unavailable in your web version, format the chart in the desktop app.

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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