Part-of-Whole Charts — Show Proportions & Composition
Create pie charts, donut charts, treemaps, sunbursts, waffle charts, and 100% stacked bars. Show how parts make up a total.
Part-of-whole charts answer the question "what share does each part have?" They visualize how individual segments contribute to a total, making proportions and composition immediately clear to any audience.
Use part-of-whole charts when you want to show how a single total is divided among its components. A finance team might use a donut chart to display budget allocation across departments. A market researcher could use a pie chart to illustrate brand market share. A product analyst might choose a treemap to explore how hundreds of product SKUs contribute to overall revenue, with nested rectangles sized by sales volume.
- Budget and expense breakdowns — use pie charts or donut charts to show how funds are distributed across categories such as payroll, marketing, operations, and R&D.
- Market share analysis — display each competitor's share of the total market with donut charts or waffle charts for a clear, visually proportional representation.
- Demographic and survey composition — break down respondent groups by age, region, or preference using 100% stacked bar charts or sunburst charts for multi-level hierarchies.
- Portfolio and asset allocation — visualize investment distributions across asset classes, sectors, or geographies with treemaps or nested donut charts.
ChartLoad offers all these part-of-whole chart types for free with no signup required. Upload your data, adjust segments and colors, and export your chart as PNG, PDF, or SVG. Whether you need a simple pie chart for a presentation or a detailed sunburst for hierarchical data, ChartLoad has you covered.
Charts in This Category
Pie Chart
Create colorful pie charts to show proportions.
Create Pie Chart →Donut Chart
Create modern donut charts with a center space for KPIs.
Create Donut Chart →Treemap
Visualize hierarchical data as nested rectangles.
Create Treemap →Sunburst Chart
Show multi-level hierarchies as concentric rings.
Create Sunburst Chart →Waffle Chart
Show percentages as filled grid squares.
Create Waffle Chart →Stacked 100% Chart
Compare proportions across categories with normalized stacked bars.
Create Stacked 100% Chart →Half Donut Chart
Create semicircular donut charts for gauge-style part-of-whole displays.
Create Half Donut Chart →Nested Donut Chart
Stack multiple donut rings to compare part-of-whole breakdowns across groups.
Create Nested Donut Chart →Marimekko Chart
Create Marimekko (Mekko) charts that vary both bar width and height to show two dimensions of data simultaneously.
Create Marimekko Chart →Parliament Chart
Visualize seat distributions in legislative bodies with a hemicycle parliament chart.
Create Parliament Chart →When to Use Part-of-Whole Charts
Choose part-of-whole charts when your main message is "what percentage does each segment represent?" They work best when you have a clear total and want to show how individual parts contribute to it — budgets, market share, survey responses, or portfolio allocation.
| Choose This | When You Need To... | Choose Instead | When You Need To... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part-of-Whole | you want to show proportions of a total | Comparison | you want to compare exact values side by side |
| Part-of-Whole | your audience needs to see percentage shares | Distribution | you need to understand data spread and shape |
| Part-of-Whole | you have 2-7 categories summing to 100% | Ranking | you want to show order or flow between stages |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many slices should a pie chart have?
Keep it to 2-6 slices for readability. More than 6 makes small slices nearly identical in size. Group minor categories into an "Other" slice, or switch to a treemap for many categories.
What is the difference between a pie chart and a donut chart?
Both show parts of a whole. A donut chart has a hollow center that can display a total or key metric. Donut charts are considered more modern and slightly easier to read when comparing multiple rings.
When should I use a treemap instead of a pie chart?
Use a treemap when you have many categories (10+) or hierarchical data. Treemaps use nested rectangles sized by value, making them far more readable than a pie chart with many thin slices.
Can I show nested hierarchies in a part-of-whole chart?
Yes. Sunburst charts display multi-level hierarchies as concentric rings — inner rings show top-level categories and outer rings show sub-categories. Nested donut charts offer a similar layered view.
Are waffle charts better than pie charts?
Waffle charts use a grid of squares to represent percentages, making it easier to compare values accurately. They are excellent for infographics and presentations where precise proportional comparison matters more than aesthetics.
Related Articles
Pie Chart vs Donut Chart: When to Use Each
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How to Make a Pie Chart: Guide
Learn how to make a pie chart the right way.
Donut vs Pie vs Waffle Chart
Donut chart vs pie chart vs waffle chart — compare all three with pros, cons, and use cases.
Treemap Chart Guide
Learn how to use a treemap chart for hierarchical data.
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