🥧 Proportion Charts – Pie, Donut & Treemap

Last Updated: 23 Sept 2025

Proportion Charts are used to show how a total is divided into parts.

  • Pie Chart → classic circle showing percentages
  • Donut Chart → Pie Chart with a hole (aesthetic + space for labels)
  • Treemap → rectangle-based chart showing hierarchy and proportion

✏ When to Use Proportion Charts?

  • Data represents parts of a total (percentages, market share, votes).
  • Best for few categories (5–7 max).
  • Avoid for too many small slices — it becomes cluttered.

🎨 Color & Style Tips

  1. Use contrasting colors for each part.
  2. Avoid too many slices — group small categories as “Others”.
  3. Use consistent color palette across charts.
  4. Highlight important parts with a standout color.

Dos & Don’ts

✅ Do

  • Add labels or percentages.
  • Keep slices distinct and readable.
  • Use legend if needed.

❌ Don’t

  • Don’t use more than 7 slices.
  • Don’t use 3D pie charts (distorts perception).
  • Don’t ignore small slices — group as “Others”.

1. Pie Chart

Let us consider the following data:

companies = ["A", "B", "C", "D"]
market_share = [40, 25, 20, 15]

You want to create a pie chart to show the market share of different companies.

Pie Chart Example

3. Donut Chart

Donut Chart Example

4. Treemap

Let us consider the following data:

sizes = [40, 25, 20, 15]
labels = ["A", "B", "C", "D"]

You want to create a treemap to show the market share of different companies.

Treemap Chart Example

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