How to Draw a Pie Chart from Percentages

Three Parts: Interpreting Your Data Drawing the Chart Labeling the Chart

Pie charts, also called circle charts, are composed of a circle divided into different wedges or sections. You can draw a pie
chart using programs like Adobe Illustrator or Microsoft Excel. However, it is also easy to hand draw a pie chart if you have a
compass, protractor, and markers or colored pencils.

Part
Interpreting Your Data
1

1 Gather your data. Pie charts are used to compare the relative size of different data categories.[1] Pie
charts are best used with nominal or ordinal data, in which 6 or fewer categories are represented. If you
have more than 6 categories, certain sections of a pie chart may be too small to effectively read and interpret.[2]
Nominal data is data that has no specific order or scale, but is categorized only by a name or category
type.[3] Examples of nominal data include favorite dessert or college major.
Ordinal data is data that is based on position or scale.[4] Examples of ordinal data include level of
satisfaction or education level.

2 Calculate the total value of the data. This is the total number of data points that you have. If you
conducted a one-question survey, the total number of data points would be the total number of responses
you received.
For example, if you surveyed 100 American millennials on who their favorite Beatle is, you will have 100
data points.
 3 Calculate the ratio of each category. To find a ratio, place the number of responses a particular category
received over the number of data points. Turn this into a percentage by dividing the numerator by the
denominator.[5]
For example, you might have found the following data from your survey:
Who is your favorite Beatle?

Part
2 Drawing the Chart

1 Use a compass to draw a circle. Attach a sharpened pencil and hold the point firmly while you swing the
compass to create a circle. It doesn’t matter how large the circle is, but the larger the circle, the easier it
will be to create and read your pie chart.

2 Multiply each category percentage by 360. Use the decimal form of the percentage in your calculation.
This will give you the size of each category’s section in degrees. Each section needs to be represented as
a proportion of 360, since there are 360 degrees in a circle.[6] You might need to round decimals up or down.
Make sure your total number of degrees adds up to 360.
 For example:

3 Draw the first category section. Place the protractor’s origin hole in the center of the circle. Create the
first angle by drawing two points, one at the 0 degree line, and one at the line showing the number of
degrees of your angle. Remove the protractor, and use its straight edge to draw the borders of the section. Each
line segment should begin at the circle’s center point, end at the edge of the circle, and pass through either
point you drew with the protractor.
For example, the John category should be a section that is 97 degrees. So you would draw a point
outside the protractor at the 0 degree line, and another point at the 97 degree line. Then you would
finish drawing the section by drawing lines through these points.
Take care when using a protractor to read it correctly. Most protractors have two sets of numbers. Think
about the size of the angle you are making to ensure you are looking at the correct numbers.

4 Draw the other categories. For each new category, place the protractor’s 0 degree line over the edge of
the previous section. Draw the sections using their degree measurements, just as you did the first section.

Part
Labeling the Chart
3
1 Color each section. By making each section of the pie chart a different color, it makes it easier for readers
to interpret its information. The colors you use don’t matter, but if they are too dark or vibrant, reading your
chart may be difficult.

2 Label each section category. Your chart should be properly labeled so that anyone looking at it can
interpret what its sections mean. Usually the category if each section is written directly on the chart. If a
particular section is too small to write clearly inside of it, draw a line connecting the section to an area outside of
the chart, and write the category title there.
Another option is to make a key. Instead of labeling directly on your pie chart, you can make a small box
below it, denoting which color indicates which category.

3 Denote each section’s percentage. Even though the pie chart’s section indicate their relative size, it is
helpful to give readers the exact size by labeling each category’s percentage. Write the percentage above
or below the category title so that it is clear which percentage applies to which section of the pie chart.

4 Title your chart. Every chart should have a title that tells the reader what information it is displaying. Your
title should be descriptive, but not too long.
For example, you might name your chart “Favorite Beatle Among American Millennials.”
Community Q&A New! Make a stranger's day. Answer a question.

Question

How do I make a pie chart if the digits are in decimal?

Donagan
Top Answerer

To make a pie chart displaying numbers that are given in decimal form, add all the numbers together, and then
divide each individual number by that sum. That will give you more decimal numbers. Multiply each by 100 to arrive
at percentages for each number. Multiply each percentage by 360° to get the central angle for each segment of the
pie.

Question

How do I convert the percentage into a decimal while multiplying?

Jake Vandenberg
Community Answer

In order to convert a percentage to a decimal, simply divide the percentage by 100. For example, 25 percent
becomes 0.25 after dividing by 100.

Question

How do I draw a pie chart to show comparison between the sales of two manufacturers, OPFA and DPFA?

Donagan
Top Answerer

Add together the sales figures of the two companies. Divide the sum by either of the two sales figures. That will give
you a decimal number between 0 and 1. convert that to a percentage or a portion of a circle. Use Part 2 above to
draw the chart.

Question

How do I find the percentages?

Donagan
Top Answerer

The above article assumes you have been given the percentages, rather than having to find them. If instead you
have been given the angles at the center of the pie, you can find the percentages involved by dividing each angle by
360° and then multiplying the resulting decimal number by 100 (and tacking on a % sign).

Question

How can I put 19.3% into a degrees on a pie chart, showing steps?

Donagan
Top Answerer

Use cross-multiplication to find out how many degrees represent 19.3% of a full, 360° pie chart. Set up this equation:
(x / 19.3) = (360 / 100), where x is the number of degrees you're looking for. By cross-multiplying, 100x = (19.3)
(360). So 100x = 6,948, and x = 69.48°.
 Make a stranger's day. Answer a question. Learn more

Tips

Make sure to convert the percentage into a decimal when multiplying.

Sources and Citations

1. https://www.mathsisfun.com/data/pie-charts.html
2. http://libweb.surrey.ac.uk/library/skills/Number%20Skills%20Leicester/page_53.htm
3. http://changingminds.org/explanations/research/measurement/types_data.htm
4. http://changingminds.org/explanations/research/measurement/types_data.htm
5. http://www.mathplanet.com/education/pre-algebra/introducing-geometry/circle-graphs
6. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/maths/statistics/representingdata1rev2.shtml