Parts of a whole

Part-to-whole charts split a total into the parts it is made of. They work when the parts genuinely add up to a meaningful whole, such as a budget, a vote or a market, and the share each part takes is the story. Keep the parts few, or nest them, because small slices are where these charts stop being readable.

• Budgets, spending and revenue breakdowns
• Market share and survey answer shares
• Election results and seat counts
• Nested categories, such as departments within divisions