Nested and Multi-Level Pie Charts
Last reviewed on 2026-05-22.
Showing hierarchy with concentric rings — and when to use a sunburst instead
What a nested pie chart is
A nested pie chart (sometimes called a multi-level pie or sunburst) uses concentric rings to show hierarchical data. The inner ring shows top-level categories; outer rings break each category into sub-categories. For example, the inner ring could be regions and the outer ring could be countries within each region, sized proportionally.
When a nested pie chart works
Nested pies work when the hierarchy is genuinely two-level (parent + children) and the audience needs to see both levels at once. Common examples: spending by category + sub-category, file system size visualization, revenue by region + country, traffic by source + medium.
Where they start to fail
- More than 2 levels of hierarchy. A three-ring chart becomes nearly impossible to label. Use a treemap instead.
- Highly unequal parent sizes. If one parent is 70% of the chart, its children dominate the outer ring while other parents' children become invisible slivers.
- More than ~6 parents. Like a regular pie chart, nested pies struggle with too many top-level categories.
- Children that don't naturally roll up. If your sub-categories aren't strictly subsets of one parent, the chart is misleading.
Nested pie vs sunburst
These two are often the same chart by different names. "Sunburst" usually implies an interactive, drill-down version that lets users click a parent to zoom into its children. "Nested pie" usually means a static, two-ring chart. Use sunburst when the audience needs to explore the data interactively; nested pie when you need a single image for a report or slide.
Better alternatives for hierarchical data
- Treemap. Rectangles nested inside rectangles, sized by value. Handles 3+ levels of hierarchy and many more categories than a nested pie.
- Sankey diagram. Shows flows between hierarchical categories (e.g., traffic source → landing page → conversion).
- Stacked bar chart. Each bar is a parent; each segment within the bar is a child. Less visually striking, but easier to read.
Heads up: If a colleague asks for a 'multi-level pie chart' for analytical work, push back gently. A treemap or stacked bar usually communicates the same data faster — nested pies are visually interesting but harder to read.
If you build one anyway
- Color the parent categories with distinct hues. Color each child as a lighter or darker shade of its parent's color — preserves the hierarchy visually.
- Label parents on the inner ring and children on the outer ring. Skip labels for any segment under ~5% of the chart.
- Order children consistently — largest to smallest within each parent, or by some logical order (chronological, alphabetical).
- Limit to 2 rings. Three rings is a treemap waiting to happen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a nested pie chart and a sunburst?
Often the same chart by different names. 'Sunburst' usually implies interactive drill-down; 'nested pie' usually means a static two-ring visualization.
Can a pie chart have multiple layers?
Yes — that's a nested pie chart. Inner rings show parent categories; outer rings show their children. Stick to 2 rings for readability.
When should I use a treemap instead?
When you have 3+ levels of hierarchy, many categories at any level, or highly unequal parent sizes. Treemaps handle complexity better than nested pies.
Can I build a nested pie chart in this tool?
Not currently — the maker focuses on single-ring pie and donut charts. For nested pies and sunburst diagrams, dedicated tools like Datawrapper, Flourish, or D3.js are better fits.