Why are my pie charts not displaying correctly in the Numbers app?

For the last hour I've tried getting pie charts to work and troubleshoot with GPT. I just want a simple pie chart that pulls item names and item values.

The result:

  • Pie Charts only work with one column of data, they break and display a solid circle if you include a column of item names
  • Bar Charts are fine


Example of what I mean:

Bar chart of item names + item values:


Pie chart of item names + item values:


Pie chart of only values:


Same on both local Numbers and iCloud Numbers.

Same result with 3D pie chart.


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

MacBook Air (M1, 2020)

Posted on Apr 20, 2025 10:57 AM

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Apr 20, 2025 5:46 PM in response to simondroger

If you haven't do so already be sure to have a look at the 'Charting Basics' template at File > New in the menu. It contains working examples.


In general you don't want to have one big grid of cells (as in Excel and in your screenshot). You want a smaller, special purpose data table for your chart.


For 'category' charts you want the column with the labels defined as a Header Column. For x-y charts, on the other hand, you generally do not want a column defined as a Header Column.



Add column, bar, line, area, pie, donut, and radar charts in Numbers on Mac - Apple Support

Select data to make a chart in Numbers on Mac - Apple Support



SG





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Apr 20, 2025 1:06 PM in response to simondroger

Taking a second look at your tables, maybe column A is already a header column but you are using it as a border not as a header column? The chart labels (or X axis values for line and bar charts) should be in the header column. It doesn't have to be that way but Numbers expects it and it is more work for you if you don't do it that way.

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Why are my pie charts not displaying correctly in the Numbers app?

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