Chart & Visualization Issues

Can You Rotate the Secondary Pie in an Excel Pie of Pie Chart?

Guest Writer Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is looking for a way to rotate the secondary pie within a Pie of Pie chart in Excel.

Can You Rotate the Secondary Pie in an Excel Pie of Pie Chart?

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Customizing a Pie of Pie chart to improve data visualization and presentation.
Observed behavior: Excel does not currently provide a built-in feature or option to rotate the second pie independently in a Pie of Pie chart.

Before you start

Verify your current version of Microsoft Excel, as interface options can vary slightly, though this specific rotation limitation applies universally to all recent standard versions.

Solution 1Recommended

Alternative Approaches for Pie Chart Rotation

Since Excel lacks a built-in rotation tool for the secondary pie, you can use separate charts as a workaround or request the feature from Microsoft.

Currently, Microsoft Excel's formatting tools only allow you to rotate the primary pie in a Pie of Pie chart (using the 'Angle of first slice' setting). The secondary pie remains fixed in its default orientation.

Advanced users often rely on two separate standard pie charts to gain full control over the rotation of both elements, or they utilize custom VBA macros.

Use two separate Pie Charts

Instead of using a single Pie of Pie chart, create two distinct standard Pie Charts. This allows you to select each chart independently, right-click to choose 'Format Data Series', and adjust the 'Angle of first slice' for both charts exactly as you need.

Explore VBA macro solutions

Visit the Excel Developer forums or communities to search for custom VBA scripts. While standard formatting cannot rotate the secondary pie, complex macros can sometimes manipulate the chart rendering.

Submit a feature request

Navigate to the 'Help' tab in the Excel ribbon, click on 'Feedback', and choose 'I have a suggestion'. Detail your need for secondary pie rotation so Microsoft developers can consider it for future updates.

Alternative Approaches for Pie Chart Rotation

Primary Pie Rotation: You can still rotate the main pie. Just right-click the primary pie, select 'Format Data Series', and drag the slider for 'Angle of first slice'.

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1. Install WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office suite from the official website.
2. Open Your Data: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your existing .xlsx workbook.
3. Insert a Chart: Highlight your data, navigate to the Insert tab, and select from a wide variety of customizable chart types.
4. Customize Chart Elements: Use the intuitive Chart Options pane on the right side of the screen to quickly adjust colors, labels, angles, and data series.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I rotate the primary pie in a Pie of Pie chart?

Right-click the primary pie and select 'Format Data Series'. In the panel that appears, look for the 'Angle of first slice' slider. Adjusting this slider will rotate the main pie, though it leaves the secondary pie unchanged.

Can I control which data values go into the secondary pie?

Yes. Right-click the chart and choose 'Format Data Series'. Under 'Series Options', look for the 'Split Series By' dropdown. You can choose to split your data by position, value, percentage, or assign data points manually.

Is there a way to resize the secondary pie?

Absolutely. Open the 'Format Data Series' pane and find the 'Size of second plot' setting. You can adjust the percentage here to make the secondary pie larger or smaller relative to your primary pie.

Excel & Data Problems