How to Create Chart from Pivot Table in Excel (2 Easy Methods)

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If you are looking for how to create charts from Pivot Table in Excel, then you are in the right place. With a PivotChart, we can graphically represent the data summarized in a pivot table. If we know how to create charts in Excel, we’ll face no problem creating and customizing pivot charts. All Excel charting features are available in a pivot chart. In this article, we will show step-by-step how to create charts from PivotTable in Excel.


How to Create Chart from Pivot Table in Excel: 2 Methods

The following figure shows part of a table that contains daily sales by region. The Date field contains dates for the entire year excluding weekends, the Region field contains the region name (Eastern, Southern, or Western), and the Sales field contains the sales amount.

Creating Chart from Pivot Table in Excel

Although we can create a PivotChart without a PivotTable, we find it easier to create a pivot table first, then create a PivotChart from this PivotTable. The following figure shows the Pivot Table created from this data. The Date field is in the Rows area, and the dates have been grouped into months. The Region field is placed in the Columns area. The Sales field has been placed in the Values area.

Creating Chart from Pivot Table in Excel

We can easily interpret a Pivot Table rather than raw data. But the easiest way to spot trends is by using the PivotChart


1. Utilizing PivotTable Analyze Feature to Create Chart from PivotTable

We can use the PivotTable Analyze feature to create PivotChart. We can follow the steps below to create a PivotChart from the dataset of PivotTable below.

Utilizing PivotTable Analyze Feature to Create Chart from PivotTable

Step-01: Working with PivotTable Analyze Option

  • Firstly, select any cell in an existing PivotTable.
  • Secondly, choose PivotTable Analyze.

Utilizing PivotTable Analyze Feature to Create Chart from PivotTable

  • Eventually, an Insert Chart window will appear.

Step-02: Dealing with Insert Chart Dialogue Box

  • In this step, select Column in the Insert Chart
  • Next, click the Clustered Column chart option shown in the picture.
  • Lastly, click OK.

Utilizing PivotTable Analyze Feature to Create Chart from PivotTable

Consequently, our PivotChart output will be like this.

Importantly, we can see that the legends of Region and Date are in tabular format. We can select various options from these tables to get customized charts.

  • To get the customized chart, firstly, click on Region.
  • Secondly, select or deselect any of the options of the Region Here, we have deselected the Western option i.e. our chart will be only based on Sales in the  Eastern and Southern regions.
  • Thirdly, click OK.

  • Eventually, we’ll get our customized chart like this.

Read More: How to Edit Pivot Chart in Excel


2. Using Insert Option to Create PivotChart from PivotTable

We can also create PivotChart from the Insert feature. We’ll work with the following PivotTable dataset and more importantly, the steps are easy to follow.

Using Insert Option to Create PivotChart from PivotTable

Step-01: Working with INSERT Option

  • Firstly, select any cell on the table > go to Insert > choose PivotChart.

Using Insert Option to Create PivotChart from PivotTable

  • Eventually, an Insert Chart window will appear.

Step-02: Create PivotChart

  • In this step, similarly, as before, select Column in the Insert Chart.
  • Secondly, click the Clustered Column chart option shown in the picture.
  • Thirdly, click OK.

Using Insert Option to Create PivotChart from PivotTable

  • Eventually, we’ll get our PivotChart like this.
  • Again, we can see that the legends of Region and Date are in tabular format. So, similarly, as before, we can select various options from these tables to get customized charts.

Read More: How to Use Pivot Chart in Excel


Create Pie Chart from Pivot Table

Moreover, we can create Pie Chart from Pivot Table. We just need to follow some easy steps.

Steps:

  • Firstly, click any cell on the table. Here, it is the Sum of Sales.
  • Secondly, go to Insert > click the drop-down bar of pie charts > select the specified 2-D Pie

Create Pie Chart from Pivot Table

  • Eventually, we’ll see our pie chart like this.

Create Pie Chart from Pivot Table

But this chart doesn’t contain Sales of all Eastern, Southern and Western regions. So actually, this chart is not practical.
Eventually, we need to adopt another way through which this problem is solved.

  • For this, firstly, select one cell in the table > go to Insert > click the drop-down bar of pie charts > select More Pie Charts.

Create Pie Chart from Pivot Table

  • Consequently, an Insert Chart window will appear.
  • Secondly, choose Pie > select the pictures of the Doughnut chart shown in the image below.
  • Thirdly, click OK.

Create Pie Chart from Pivot Table

  • Eventually, we’ll get the chart like this.
  • Fourthly, right-click on the smallest e. innermost circle > select Format Data Series.

Create Pie Chart from Pivot Table

  • Consequently, a Format Data Series window will appear.
  • Fifthly, change the Doughnut Hole Size to 0%.

  • We’ll see that the shape of the chart is changed like this.
  • Sixthly, right-click the sign shown in the picture > click Data Labels.

Eventually, all the data will be added to the chart.

Importantly, the main problem here is that we have not arranged the data according to their specified places. So, we need to reorder them manually. Fortunately, you may rearrange the data inside the chart after creating the pie chart.

Read More: Use Excel VBA to Create Chart from Pivot Table


Things to Remember

  • A PivotTable and a PivotChart are joined in a two-way link. If we make any kind of structural or filtering changes to one, we actually have changed the other by default.
  • When we activate a PivotChart, the PivotTable Fields task pane will be changed to the PivotChart Fields task pane. In the PivotChart Task pane, Legend (Series) replaces the Columns area, and Axis (Category) replaces the Rows area, and Values are the same for both task panes.
  • The field buttons in a PivotChart contain the same controls as the PivotChart’s field headers. These controls allow us to filter the data we display in the PivotTable and PivotChart. If we make changes to the PivotChart using these buttons, PivotTable also displays those changes.
  • To move the PivotChart to a different worksheet (or to a Chart Sheet), choose PivotChart Tools ➪ Analyze ➪ Actions ➪ Move Chart.
  • It is possible to create multiple PivotCharts from a PivotTable. We can manipulate and format the charts separately. However, all the charts display the same data.
  • If we select a normal chart then it will show the icons to the right: Chart Elements, Chart Styles, and Chart Filters. In contrast, a pivot chart does not display the Chart Filters
  • Slicers and Timelines also work with PivotCharts.
  • We can choose Page Layout ➪ Themes ➪ Themes to change the workbook theme. Our PivotTable and PivotChart will both use the new theme.

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Conclusion

We can create PivotChart and Pie Chart from PivotTable efficiently if we study this article properly. Please feel free to visit our official Excel learning platform for further queries.


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Kawser Ahmed
Kawser Ahmed

Kawser Ahmed is a Microsoft Excel Expert, Udemy Course Instructor, Data Analyst, Finance professional, and Chief Editor of ExcelDemy. He is the founder and CEO of SOFTEKO (a software and content marketing company). He has a B.Sc in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. As a Udemy instructor, he offers 8 acclaimed Excel courses, one selected for Udemy Business. A devoted MS Excel enthusiast, Kawser has contributed over 200 articles and reviewed thousands more. His expertise extends to Data Analysis,... Read Full Bio

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