How to Create a Sunburst Chart in Excel (Multi-Level Pie Chart)

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Excel’s native Sunburst chart is what many people mean when they refer to a multi-level pie chart.

Excel has included it since 2016, so you don’t need to hand-build nested doughnut rings unless you’re using Excel 2013 or earlier.

The source data matters as much as the button you click. A good Sunburst source describes each branch of the hierarchy, including branches that end early.

I’ll show you two native ways to insert it and use the supplied Wrong Layout sheet to check your source.

You’ll also see a doughnut workaround for older versions.

Method #1: Using the Insert Hierarchy Chart Button

This is the route I recommend for most readers because it goes straight to the Sunburst command.

Below I have monthly household spending on the Spending Hierarchy sheet. The source occupies A1:D13, and I want to show its category levels in one chart.

Household spending hierarchy in A1:D13 with Category, Subcategory, Item and Amount columns

Here are the steps to create the Sunburst chart:

  1. Select A1:D13 on the Spending Hierarchy sheet.
The whole spending hierarchy A1:D13 selected, headers included
  1. On the Insert tab, open Insert Hierarchy Chart in the Charts group, then choose Sunburst.
The Insert Hierarchy Chart dropdown on the Insert tab with Sunburst highlighted

Excel creates the Sunburst from the selected household spending hierarchy.

Note: On a Mac, the ribbon path is Insert > Hierarchy > Sunburst.

Method #2: Using Recommended Charts

Here’s another way to reach the same native chart when you prefer browsing Excel’s full chart gallery.

Below I have the household spending hierarchy in Spending Hierarchy!A1:D13. I want Excel to chart the Category, Subcategory, Item, and Amount fields.

The same household spending hierarchy in Spending Hierarchy A1:D13 before using Recommended Charts

Here are the steps to insert it through Recommended Charts:

  1. Select A1:D13 on the Spending Hierarchy sheet.
A1:D13 selected on the Spending Hierarchy sheet ready for Recommended Charts
  1. Open the Insert tab and click Recommended Charts.
The Recommended Charts button in the Charts group on the Insert tab
  1. Open All Charts and choose Sunburst.
The Insert Chart dialog on the All Charts tab with Sunburst selected and the household spending preview showing

Method #3: Reordering the Source Columns

If your chart looks wrong, the problem may be the source arrangement rather than the chart command.

Below I have Wrong Layout!A1:D7. Its headers are Category, Amount, Subcategory, and Item, and I want to compare it with the working source layout.

The Wrong Layout sheet with Amount in column B, ahead of Subcategory and Item

The Wrong Layout sheet puts Amount in column B. The Spending Hierarchy sheet uses Category, Subcategory, Item, and Amount across columns A through D.

Here are the steps to test the corrected arrangement:

  1. On Wrong Layout, reorder the columns so A1:D1 reads Category, Subcategory, Item, Amount.
The same six rows after reordering so A1:D1 reads Category, Subcategory, Item and Amount with 700 for Rent in D2
  1. Open Spending Hierarchy and compare its complete source in A1:D13.
The complete correctly shaped source in Spending Hierarchy A1:D13 with Amount last in column D
  1. Check the branches that end at Subcategory. Their Item cells are blank in C2, C6, and C9:C13.
The blank Item cells C2, C6 and C9:C13 selected, one for every branch that stops at Subcategory
  1. Select A1:D13, then choose Insert > Insert Hierarchy Chart > Sunburst.
The finished Sunburst chart with Housing, Food, Transport and Fun on the inner ring and Utilities and Dining Out splitting into a third ring

Note: Blank cells inside a hierarchy are supported. You don’t need to invent an Item for Rent, Groceries, Fuel, Car Insurance, Transit Pass, Streaming, or Concert Tickets.

Method #4: Using a Doughnut Chart (Excel 2013 and Earlier)

If you’re using Excel 2013 or earlier, the native Sunburst option isn’t available. A nested doughnut is the manual workaround.

The source below has three hierarchy levels. The Doughnut Data sheet in the download has prepared category and subcategory totals for a simpler two-ring chart.

The same household spending hierarchy in A1:D13 before rebuilding it as nested doughnut rings

Here are the steps to build the manual version:

  1. On Doughnut Data, select B1:B5 and insert a Doughnut chart. Open Chart Design > Select Data, click Add, and set the second series name to C1 and its values to C2:C10.
A doughnut chart with the four category totals as the inner ring and the nine subcategory totals as the outer ring
  1. Right-click a ring, open Format Data Series, and set Doughnut Hole Size to 10%, the smallest supported value.
Format Data Series with Doughnut Hole Size set to the minimum 10%, leaving a small centre hole
  1. In Select Data, set Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels to A2:A10. Add Category Name data labels to the outer ring for its nine subcategories.
Nine outer-ring category labels naming Rent, Utilities, Groceries, Dining Out, Fuel, Car Insurance, Transit Pass, Streaming and Concert Tickets
  1. Click the chart, choose Insert > Text Box, and place Housing, Food, Transport, and Fun beside the matching inner-ring segments.
The finished two-ring doughnut with nine outer subcategory labels and four inner text boxes naming Housing, Food, Transport and Fun

This two-ring chart shows Category and Subcategory. It takes more work than Sunburst and does not include the Item level of the original source.

Sunburst vs Treemap: Which One to Use

Both chart types show hierarchical data, but each is better at a different job.

ChartWhen it fits
SunburstUse it when the levels between the largest categories and each data point need to be clear.
TreemapUse it when comparing proportions within the hierarchy matters more than showing the levels between them.

For this household spending example, Sunburst makes the category levels easier to follow.

Additional Notes About Sunburst Charts in Excel

  • The native chart is available in Microsoft 365 for Windows and Mac, Excel 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016, plus Excel for iPad and iPhone.
  • Blank cells are supported within the hierarchy, so a branch doesn’t need a made-up lower level.
  • Windows uses Insert > Insert Hierarchy Chart > Sunburst. Mac uses Insert > Hierarchy > Sunburst.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a sunburst chart the same as a multi-level pie chart?

Sunburst is Excel’s name for the native chart that people often mean when they search for a multi-level pie chart.

Is Sunburst available in Excel 2013 or earlier?

No. Those versions don’t include the native Sunburst chart. Use the doughnut workaround in Method #4.

Conclusion

I used Excel’s Sunburst command with an arranged hierarchy, then showed a two-ring doughnut workaround for older versions. I hope you found this article helpful.

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