How to Calculate Percentages for a Pie Chart

A pie chart shows distribution of data in terms of proportionally sized pie slices. Knowing how to figure pie chart percents will help you create visual displays of data more accurately. You can work out the percentages for a pie chart display following the step by step instructions below, or you can use the convenient pie chart calculator on the left. Simply fill in the blanks in the second column and the calculator will output the totals and individual percents.

Step 1

For each category you want to represent in the pie chart, determine the number of people/objects or amount of money in each category. For example, suppose a company's expenditures are divided into four categories labeled A, B, C, and D. Let's say that Category A is $1000, B is $500, C is $2500, and D is $4000.

Step 2

Add the numbers you found in Step 1 to find the total. Using the example above, we have $1000 + $500 + $2500 + $4000 = $8000

Step 3

Divide each category amount by the total, then multiply by 100% to compute the percentage. For example:

A: (1000/8000)(100%) = 12.5%
B: (500/8000)(100%) = 6.25%
C: (2500/8000)(100%) = 31.25%
D: (4000/8000)(100%) = 50%

When you create a pie chart with these numbers, you can see how each type of expenditure influences the total.

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