{"id":10548,"date":"2026-09-11T09:10:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T09:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prwatech.in\/blog\/?p=10548"},"modified":"2026-09-12T07:12:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T07:12:16","slug":"donut-chart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prwatech.in\/blog\/power-bi\/module-2\/donut-chart\/","title":{"rendered":"Donut Chart"},"content":{"rendered":"

Donut Chart in Power BI<\/h1>\n

A donut chart<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0shows how a set of categories add up to a whole, the same idea as a pie chart, but with a hollow center instead of a solid circle. It works best when you are comparing 2 to 4 categories. Add more than that and the slices get too thin to read, so a bar chart usually tells the story better once your category count grows.<\/p>\n

This guide assumes you already have a dataset loaded in Power BI Desktop. If you have not done that yet, start with the Loading Datasets in Power BI Desktop<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0guide first, then come back here.<\/p>\n

Step by Step Process of Creating Donut Chart<\/h2>\n

Step 1: Add a Donut Chart to the Report<\/h3>\n

In the Visualizations<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0pane on the right, click the Donut Chart icon. This adds an empty donut chart visual to the report canvas, ready for your fields.<\/p>\n

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Step 2: Add a Field to Values<\/h3>\n

Still in the Visualizations<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0pane, find the field you want to measure, such as sales or a count of records, and drag it into the Values<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0section. This is what the donut chart will actually size its slices by.<\/p>\n

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Step 3: Add a Field to Legend<\/h3>\n

Drag the field you want to split your data by, for example product category or region, into the Legend<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0section. This is the step that turns one plain circle into separate colored slices, one per category.<\/p>\n

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Step 4: Format the Chart and Turn On Data Labels<\/h3>\n

Click the Format<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0icon (it looks like a paint roller) to open the Format pane on the right. Look for Data Labels<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0and switch it on. This prints the value or percentage directly on each slice, so anyone reading the report can see the numbers at a glance instead of hovering over the chart.<\/p>\n

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Optional: Show a Total in the Center<\/h2>\n

One thing that sets a donut chart apart from a pie chart is that empty middle, and Power BI lets you use it. In the Format pane, under the Visual tab, turn on Center value<\/b><\/strong>. Power BI will display the sum of your values right in the center of the ring. From there you can control the number format, choose thousands or millions as display units, change the font, and even add a short label above or below the number, for example “Total Sales” instead of the field name.<\/p>\n

More Ways to Format Your Donut Chart<\/h2>\n