How to create a sunburst chart in Excel
Sunburst charts are excellent for the right hierarchy and confusing for almost everything else. Here is the source structure, build process, formatting, and honest decision about when to use one.
By Joshua Cottrell-Schloemer, 2× Microsoft Excel MVP and creator of an Excel sunburst tutorial watched more than 60,000 times.Arrange the data with one hierarchy level per column—from broadest parent to most detailed child—and a numeric value in the final column. Select the table, go to Insert → Insert Hierarchy Chart → Sunburst, then verify that the center ring represents the parent level and each outer ring represents the next level.
What a sunburst chart actually shows
A sunburst chart is a radial hierarchy. The center ring holds the broadest categories. The next ring breaks each parent into children. Additional rings continue outward through deeper levels. The angular size of each segment represents the sum of values inside that branch.
Imagine a company with divisions, departments, and teams. The center can show divisions, the next ring departments, and the outside teams. A larger division occupies more of the circle; its children occupy portions of that same arc. That makes the chart useful for understanding both where something belongs and roughly how large it is.
It is not a good chart for a flat list of categories, a time trend, or close value comparisons. Segment angle and ring position are harder to compare than aligned bars. If the audience mainly needs to know which department is largest, use sorted bars. If they need to see how teams nest inside departments and divisions, the sunburst has a real job.
One column per level, one value per leaf
| Season | Month | Plant | Foraging records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | March | Nettle | 12 |
| Spring | March | Wild garlic | 18 |
| Spring | April | Morel | 7 |
| Summer | June | Elderflower | 15 |
Repeat the parent labels on every applicable leaf row. Excel needs to know that Nettle and Wild garlic both belong to March and Spring. The value can be sales, headcount, cost, records, or another additive measure. Each visible branch size is built from the values beneath it.
Blank hierarchy cells can create blank arcs or branches that stop early. A zero value produces no visible area. Those behaviors may be correct, but they can also expose inconsistent labels or missing data, so inspect the source before trying to format the gap away.
Five steps in Excel
Prepare the hierarchy
Put the broadest level on the left, then each child level, with the numeric value on the right.
Select the full table
Include the headers so Excel can interpret the category columns and the value column.
Insert Sunburst
Open Insert, choose the hierarchy chart menu, and select Sunburst.
Verify the rings
Make sure the center is the top level and the outer rings represent progressively deeper categories.
Format deliberately
Set readable labels, meaningful parent colors, a clear title, and enough size for the outer categories.
Use color to reinforce parent groups
Excel will generate a functional chart, but the default color pattern may not make the hierarchy easy to follow. One useful approach is to give each top-level parent a distinct color family and let its children use related shades. That lets the eye follow an outer segment back to its parent without turning every leaf into an unrelated rainbow.
Click once to select the series, again to select a level or point, then use Format Data Point to change an individual segment. Increase the font on the important inner labels and remove labels that are too small to read. A label collision is not solved by shrinking all text to six points; simplify the hierarchy or show detail elsewhere.
A subtle circle or panel behind the chart can separate it from the page. Icons can help identify a few major parent groups, but they should sit outside the data marks and should not imply precision the chart does not provide.
Same hierarchy, different strengths
| Need | Sunburst | Treemap |
|---|---|---|
| Emphasize levels | Rings make depth and parent-child paths visible. | Nesting is visible, but deep levels can be less obvious. |
| Use space efficiently | The circle leaves unused corners and needs generous size. | Rectangles fill the available area efficiently. |
| Compare values | Angles and curved segments are approximate. | Area is also approximate; neither beats bars for precision. |
| Label many leaves | Outer labels can become crowded. | Large rectangles may hold labels better, but small leaves still disappear. |
Sunburst charts in Excel
What is a sunburst chart used for?
It shows hierarchical categories as concentric rings. Use it when the data has parent and child levels and the audience needs to see both structure and approximate branch size.
How should the data be arranged?
Use one column for each hierarchy level, ordered from broadest to most detailed, and a numeric value in the last column. Repeat parent labels for each leaf record.
Why are there blank spaces?
Blank hierarchy cells or missing child levels can create gaps. A record with a value of zero may create no visible segment. Review the source for inconsistent or intentionally absent levels.
Is a sunburst better than a treemap?
Neither is universally better. Sunbursts make levels and radial paths prominent; treemaps use rectangular space more efficiently. Use bars when precise comparison is the priority.