How to Show Percentage in a Power BI Bar Chart Data Label?

I recently worked for a client who asked me to create a bar chart showing sales based on segments with data labels. Yes, we can do it. Then, another requirement came to show the sales value in percentage value in the bar chart data labels. I researched this and found that we can show percentage values in bar charts in two ways. Now, I want to share these methods with you.

Add Data Labels in the Power BI Bar Chart

In this example, I use the sales financials data table(Financial sample.xlsx). You can create a similar Excel file and then follow the steps below.

Using this data, I create a bar chart that displays sales based on segment. However, the chart will not show any data labels in the Power BI bar chart.

We need to enable the Data labels option from the Format pane to show the values in a Power BI bar chart.

To do this, Select the bar chart, open the Format pane, and enable Data labels.

Show Percentages in Power BI Bar Chart Data Labels

The above bar chart only shows data labels, but our requirement is to show the percentage we can achieve using two methods:

1. Add Percentages of grand total in the data labels
2. Add measure in the data labels

Add Percentages of Grand Total in Power BI Bar Chart Data Labels

Now, I will tell you how to add percentages to Power BI bar chart data labels by using Percentages of the grand total with just a few clicks.

Here, I use the bar chart above, which shows sales based on the segment.

To show the percentage in the Power BI bar chart. Follow the below steps:

1. Select the bar char, open the Build pane, then inside the X-axis, right-click on sales, and select Show value as.

2. Then select the Percent of grand total option.

3. The Power BI bar chart data labels display the percentage value.

As I told you above, we can add percentages to Power BI bar chart data labels with just a few clicks.

Add Measure in the Power BI Bar Chart Data Labels

Here, we will create a measure showing the percentage value for sales and then add this measure to the Power BI bar chart data labels.

For this example, we will use the same bar chart that shows sales based on segment.

Follow the steps below to show the Percentage in the Power BI bar chart data labels.

1. First, we will create a measure to calculate the sales percentage. So, click on the New measure, and in the formula box, write the below DAX expression.

Percent = DIVIDE(SUM(financials[ Sales]),CALCULATE(SUM(financials[ Sales]),ALL(financials)))

2. Then select the Percentage as Format.

3. Select the bar chart and Open the Format pane. Expand and enable the Data labels section. Inside the Data labels section, expand and enable the Detail section.

4. Then, click the +Add data button to add the Percent measure. Then select the Display units as None.

5. You can see the Power BI bar chart data labels show values and percentages.

If you want to show only the percentage values in the data labels, then expand the Data labels in the Format pane and disable the Value section.

I hope you follow these two ways to show the percentage value in the Power BI Bar chart data labels. Now, I will tell you one bonus thing: you can follow the same steps to see the Percentage value in the Power BI line chart data labels.

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• Apply Conditional Formatting in the Power BI Bar Chart
• Power BI Bar Chart Rounded Corners
• Show Zero Values in Power BI Bar Chart

Bijay Kumar

After working for more than 18 years in Microsoft technologies like SharePoint, Microsoft 365, and Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI), I thought will share my SharePoint expertise knowledge with the world. Our audiences are from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc. For my expertise knowledge and SharePoint tutorials, Microsoft has been awarded a Microsoft SharePoint MVP (12 times). I have also worked in companies like HP, TCS, KPIT, etc.