# Pie Chart > **Back to [Style Guide](../mermaid_style_guide.md)** — Read the style guide first for emoji, color, and accessibility rules. **Syntax keyword:** `pie` **Best for:** Simple proportional breakdowns, budget allocation, composition, survey results **When NOT to use:** Trends over time (use [XY Chart](xy_chart.md)), exact comparisons (use a table), more than 7 categories --- ## Exemplar Diagram ```mermaid pie accTitle: Engineering Time Allocation accDescr: Pie chart showing how engineering team time is distributed across feature work, tech debt, bug fixes, on-call, and learning title 📊 Engineering Time Allocation "🔧 Feature development" : 45 "🔄 Tech debt reduction" : 20 "🐛 Bug fixes" : 20 "📱 On-call & support" : 10 "📚 Learning & growth" : 5 ``` --- ## Tips - Values are proportional — they don't need to sum to 100 - Use descriptive labels with **emoji prefix** for visual distinction - Limit to **7 slices maximum** — group small ones into "📦 Other" - Always include a `title` with relevant emoji - Order slices largest to smallest for readability --- ## Template ```mermaid pie accTitle: Your Title Here accDescr: Describe what proportions are being shown title 📊 Your Chart Title "📋 Category A" : 40 "🔧 Category B" : 30 "📦 Category C" : 20 "🗂️ Other" : 10 ```