When to use a pie chart Pie charts, on the other hand, show categories as a proportion of a whole. You can think of the circle as the total—100%—and the width of each slice is determined by ...

Click the "Insert" menu and click the small arrow under Pie in the Charts group to see a drop-down menu with icons of available pie chart styles. These are organized in two groups: 2D and 3D.

Pie charts are used to show percentages of the whole, and Line charts excel with data trends. The remaining chart designs include Area, Stock, Surface, Combo, Pareto, Histogram, and Sunburst.