What is a nested pie chart?
A nested pie chart is a set of donut charts placed inside each other. It is also known as a multi-level pie chart, double donut chart, multi-series pie chart or ring chart. Every ring uses the same categories and colors, so the eye can follow a category from ring to ring and see whether its share grew or shrank.
How to make a nested pie chart
- Type the category names in the first column of the table.
- Enter the values for your first data set (the outer ring) in the next column.
- Click “+ Add ring” under the table to add a column for each further data set, up to four.
- Click the column headers to name the rings, for example “2026” and “2025”.
- Style the chart, then download it as PNG, JPG, SVG or PDF.
Already have a table with several columns in Excel or Google Sheets? Copy it including the header row and paste it into the first cell: every number column becomes a ring automatically.
When to use a nested pie chart
- Comparing market share this year vs. last year.
- Comparing how two groups answered the same survey question.
- Showing a budget plan (outer ring) against actual spending (inner ring).
- Showing how a breakdown changed across up to four points in time.
Tips for a readable multi-level pie chart
- Two or three rings are easiest to read. Four is the maximum, and only with few categories.
- Put the most important data set on the outside, where slices are biggest and labels can go outside.
- Keep the number of categories small (up to about 6) and use a palette with clearly different colors.
- Show percentages on the slices, since that is what readers compare between rings.
- For changes over many periods, a line graph or stacked bar chart is often clearer than many rings. For a single data set, use the classic pie chart maker.
