How to add labels to the Marimekko chart

Excel 2016
This is the third, last part of the tip How to create a Marimekko or Mekko chart in Excel (the second part is How to add separators to the Marimekko chart). The area chart created in the previous part needs data labels:
The Marimekko chart with separators in Excel 365

There are at least two types of labels that the chart needs:

  • Data labels at the center of the mosaic piece,
  • Horizontal axis labels instead of 0 - 20 - *** - 100.

Labels for the mosaic pieces

1.   Prepare the new data

Create a new data range to calculate the positions of each label:

For every piece of the chart:

The new data for Marimekko chart in Excel 365

Calculate the X and Y positions for the labels:

The data for Marimekko chart in Excel 365

where:

  • X values are calculated as the middle of the width of each column plus the width of all previous columns:
    • A17: = A10 / 2
    • A18: = A10 + (A12 - A10) / 2
    • A19: = A12 + (A14 - A12) / 2
  • Y values are calculated as the middle of the height of each mosaic piece plus the height of all previous pieces:
    • B17: = B4 / E4 / 2 * 100%
    • B18: = B5 / E5 / 2 * 100%
    • B19: = B6 / E6 / 2 * 100%
    • C17: = (B4 / E4 + C4 / E4 / 2) * 100%
    • C18: = (B5 / E5 + C5 / E5 / 2) * 100%
    • C19: = (B6 / E6 + C6 / E6 / 2) * 100%
    • D17: = ((B4 + C4) / E4 + D4 / E4 / 2) * 100%
    • D18: = ((B5 + C5) / E5 + D5 / E5 / 2) * 100%
    • D19: = ((B6 + C6) / E6 + D6 / E6 / 2) * 100%

2.   Add the new data series to the chart

You can add the data series one-by-one or use the following method to add them all together:

   2.1.   Copy the new data range to the Clipboard by clicking Ctrl+C.

   2.2.   Select the chart.

   2.3.   On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, select the Paste dropdown list and then choose the Paste Special...:

Clipboard in Excel 365

   2.4.   In the Paste Special dialog box, be sure that selected:

  • In the Add cells as group, the New series option,
  • In the Values (Y) in group, the Columns option,
  • The Series Names in First Row checkbox,
  • The Categories (X Labels) in First Column checkbox:
The Paste Special dialog box in Excel 365

Excel updates the chart after adding the new data series and you need to fix the formatting:

The new data series in Excel 365

3.   Change the data series type

   3.1.   Right-click on any data series and choose Change Series Chart Type... in the popup menu:

Change Chart Type popup in Excel 365

   3.2.   In the Change Chart Type dialog box:

  • Ensure that for the first three data series you selected 100% Stacked Area chart type,
  • Choose the Scatter type for the newly added data series (the Secondary Axis checkboxes are automatically selected):
The Change Chart Type dialog box in Excel 365

4.   Add the data labels

Right-click on each new data series and choose Add Data Labels -> Add Data Labels in the popup menu:

Add Data Label in Excel 365

5.   Hide the new data series markers

Right-click on the new data series and select Format Data Series... in the popup menu:

Format Data Series in popup menu Excel 365

On the Format Data Series pane, on the Fill & Line tab, in the Marker Options section, select the No Marker option:

Format Data Series pane in Excel 365

Repeat the step 5 for all new data series.

6.   Format data labels

Right-click on the new data labels and select Format Data Labels... in the popup menu:

Format Data Labels in popup menu Excel 365

On the Format Data Labels pane, on the Label Options tab, in the Labels Options section:

  • Under Label Contains:
    • Select the Value From Cells option:
      Labels Options in Format Data Labels pane Excel 365
    • In the Data Labels Range dialog box, select the appropriate data range:
      Data Labels Range dialog box in Excel 365
    • Unselect all other checkboxes.
  • Under Label Positions, choose the Center option:
    Format Data Labels center in Excel 365

Repeat the step 6 for all data labels.

Labels for the horizontal axis

7.   Add the new data series for data labels

   7.1.   In the Select Data Source dialog box, under Legend Entries (Series), click the Add button:

Select Data Source dialog box in Excel 365

   7.2.   In the Edit Series dialog box:

  • In the Series X values field, select the same data range that was used for other labels (X values),
  • In the Series Y values field, type = {0,0,0} (so, the new data series was on the horizontal axis):
Edit Series dialog box in Excel 365

8.   Add the new data labels and format them

   8.1.   Add data labels, remove the markers for the new data series like you did for the data labels.

   8.2.   On the Format Data Labels pane, on the Label Options tab, in the Labels Options section:

  • Under Label Contains, check the Value From Cells option and select the appropriate data range:
    Data Label Range dialog box in Excel 365
  • Under Label Positions, choose the Below option.

   9.   Remove the horizontal axis, the secondary vertical axis, unnecessary labels in the Legend:

A Marimekko chart in Excel 365

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