Overview
A Waffle Chart (or square pie chart) represents percentages as filled squares in a 10×10 grid — each square equals 1%. This workbook demonstrates two variants: a Simple Waffle showing a single percentage value, and a Stacked Waffle showing three categories (A, B, C) that must sum to 100%. Both use SEQUENCE for the grid and conditional formatting for the colours.
Download the Excel file (.xlsm)
Simple Waffle Chart
- Single Value: Enter a percentage (e.g., 66%) and the grid fills 66 squares out of 100.
- Grid Formula:
SEQUENCE(10, 10, 0.01, 0.01)generates values from 0.01 to 1.00 across the 10×10 grid. - Two Styles: Style 1 and Style 2 offer different colour schemes via conditional formatting rules.
Stacked Waffle Chart
- Three Categories: Categories A (44%), B (33%), and C (23%) are shown as different colours filling the same 100-square grid.
- Validation: The formula
C = 1 - SUM(A, B)ensures the three values always sum to 100%. - Conditional Formatting: Multiple rules assign different colours based on whether each cell's SEQUENCE value falls within A's range, B's range, or C's range.
When to Use This
Waffle charts are more intuitive than pie charts for most audiences — it's easier to count squares than estimate arc angles. Use them in dashboards, infographics, and executive summaries to show KPI completion rates, survey results, or budget allocation. The stacked variant is perfect for showing part-to-whole relationships with up to 3–4 categories.