Doughnut charts should be avoided when there are many categories, or when categories do not sum to 100%.
Pros
Simple, compact presentation Can be read “at a glance” Excel will calculate percentages automatically
Cons
Difficult to compare relative size of slices Become cluttered and dense as categories are added Limited to part-to-whole data Poor at showing change over time
Tips
Limit categories Consider other charts to show change over time
Author
Dave Bruns
Hi - I’m Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.
