How to rotate a pie chart in excel

Answer

The quickest way to rotate a pie chart in Excel is to change the Angle of the first slice in the Format Data Series pane. 

Step-by-step (works on Windows and Mac)

1. Click once on any slice of the pie chart to select the whole chart.

2. Right-click a slice and choose Format Data Series from the context menu.

3. In the Format Data Series pane that appears on the right, open Series Options and locate Angle of first slice.

4. Enter a degree value (0–360) or drag the slider to set where the first slice should start; press Enter to apply.

5. Review the chart and repeat until the slice you want appears where you want it.

What changes between Windows and Mac?

Windows and Mac use the same setting name (Angle of first slice). The difference is in how you open the formatting pane:

1. On Windows, right-click a slice and pick Format Data Series, or double-click a slice to open the pane instantly. On Mac, Control-click a slice or use the chart Format ribbon tab and choose Format Selection to open the Format Data Series pane. The rotation control is the same. 

Can I rotate a single slice independently?

No. Excel cannot rotate an individual slice around the pie independently of the whole chart. Rotate the entire pie with the Angle of the first slice to reposition the slices. Use the “explode” (pull out) feature to emphasize a single slice instead. 

How to fix overlapping labels after rotation

1. Set the Angle of the first slice to move crowded slices to a clearer position. 

2. Switch label position under Chart Elements → Data Labels (e.g., Outside End, Best Fit).

3. Use leader lines for outside labels by choosing an outside label option and enabling leader lines in Format Data Labels.

4. Reduce font size or abbreviate labels when necessary.

How to rotate a Doughnut chart

The same Angle of first slice control exists for doughnut charts. Select the doughnut series, open Format Data Series, and then change the Angle of the first slice. 

Advanced: rotate by VBA (automate rotation)

1. Press Alt+F11 (Windows) or use the Macro editor on Mac to open VBA.

2. Run a small macro that sets the FirstSliceAngle property of the series, for example:

   1. Select the chart and run the VBA that assigns ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(1).FirstSliceAngle = 90.

3. Use VBA when you must apply the same rotation to many charts. (VBA details vary by Excel version.)

Troubleshooting

1. If the Angle of the first slice does not appear, ensure the chart type is a 2-D Pie or Doughnut; 3-D pies have different formatting options. If right-click does not show Format Data Series, click the chart to activate Chart Tools and use the Format ribbon → Format Selection. 

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