How to Make a Half Donut Progress Chart in Excel

A half-circle progress chart — like a speedometer, but cleaner. It sits nicely
at the top of a dashboard and reads instantly: how far along are we?

In this tutorial we build one from a doughnut chart in about six minutes. The
trick is hiding the bottom half, so what’s left is a semicircle that fills as
your number rises.

Watch: build the progress chart in 6 minutes

Prefer reading? The same steps are written out below the video.

Step-by-step

A half-circle progress chart, like a speedometer, that shows how much of a job is done. The example tracks a task called Feedback request: 100 tasks in total, 80 completed and 20 remaining.

1. Set up the numbers

Put the total (100), completed (80) and remaining (20) in C3:E3. In F3, work out the progress:

=D3/C3

Format it as a percentage: 80%.

2. Insert a doughnut chart

Select C3:E3, go to Insert > Pie or Doughnut > Doughnut. You get three slices: total, completed and remaining. The trick: the total slice is always exactly half the ring.

3. Rotate and hide the total slice

Double-click the total slice and open Format Data Point. Set Angle of first slice to 90°, so the total slice moves to the bottom half. With it selected, go to Format > Shape Fill > No Fill and Shape Outline > No Outline. Now only the top half shows.

4. Make the chart background transparent

Select the whole chart and set its Shape Fill and Shape Outline to none too. Delete the legend and change the title to Progress chart in bold black.

5. Colour the two visible slices

Double-click the completed slice and fill it dark green. Fill the remaining slice light green. Set the outline of both to No Outline to remove the white gaps.

6. Add 0% and 100% labels

Select the chart first, so the text boxes go inside it and move with it. Go to Insert > Text Box, type 0%, remove its fill and outline, and place it at the left end of the arc. Copy it, change it to 100% and place it at the right end.

7. Show the live percentage in the middle

Paste another copy, make it bigger and put it in the centre. With it selected, type = in the formula bar, click F3 and press Enter. The label now shows the progress and updates when the numbers change. Make the font black.

8. Final touches

Select each slice and add Shape Effects > Bevel > Slant for depth. Set the doughnut hole size to about 60%. Change the completed number and watch the chart and the percentage move.

Go further

My Excel Charts, Infographics & Data Visualisation course teaches 20+ advanced charts like this from a blank sheet.