Creating Marimekko Charts in PowerPoint: Visualize segments and categories

A Marimekko chart shows category size and segment distribution at the same time in a single area-based visualization. In PowerPoint, creating this type of chart natively is often complicated because widths, areas, labels, and edits usually have to be maintained manually. With empower^® , Marimekko charts can be created much more easily, quickly, and consistently. 

Marimekko Charts in PowerPoint: Use cases, challenges, and smarter ways to build them 

Anyone who needs to present complex market, portfolio, or segment data in PowerPoint will quickly find that traditional bar and column charts have limitations. In many cases, it is not enough to show values or shares alone. You may also need to show how large each category is overall and how those categories break down into individual segments. That is exactly what Marimekko charts are designed to do. 

A Marimekko chart is one of the more advanced chart types used in PowerPoint. It combines area logic, segment size, and percentage distribution in a single visual. That makes it highly informative, but also much more difficult to create than standard charts. In PowerPoint especially, the challenge becomes clear very quickly. Using native tools, the process is labor-intensive, error-prone, and difficult to update when changes are needed. 

This article explains what a Marimekko chart is, when you should use one, how it can be built in PowerPoint, why native creation is so difficult, and why the process becomes much easier and faster with empower^® . 

What is a Marimekko Chart? 

A Marimekko chart is an area-based chart that visualizes two pieces of information at the same time: 

• the width of a category shows its total size  
• the height of each segment within that category shows its share of that category  

The result is a chart made up of columns with different widths, each divided into segments with different heights. The area of each individual rectangle therefore represents the combined value of market size and segment share. 

That is exactly what makes a Marimekko chart so powerful. It shows not only distributions, but also their economic or strategic significance. 

Are there differences between Mekko charts, Marimekko charts and the PowerPoint Treemap?  

Both the Marimekko chart and the PowerPoint Treemap count as Mekko charts. But there are differences between the two. The Marimekko chart consists of bar charts stacked side by side, with each axis representing 100%. Products A, B, and C add up to 100% of sales of all products and Areas A, B, and C constitute 100% of sales of all regions. In this example, you can see that Product A has the most revenue because the bar is the widest.  

In a Treemap chart, the sheets are not stacked but arranged side by side within a category. With a Treemap, only categories and subcategories are compared with each other. In addition, no values are displayed, which you must insert manually in the settings.  

Both native Treemap charts and Marimekko charts can be created directly in PowerPoint. You can create them and other charts without dedicated charting software or save yourself time with PowerPoint add-ins like empower^®.

What elements are typically included in a Marimekko Chart?

 A Marimekko chart usually consists of the following components: 

• Categories on the horizontal axis 
  These vary in width depending on the size of the category.  
• Segments within each category 
  These show the percentage or absolute breakdown within that category.  
• Area logic 
  The area of each rectangle carries meaning because it combines two dimensions.  
• Labels 
  Typical labels include category names, percentages, market sizes, or segment names.  
• Color logic 
  Segments are usually color-coded so patterns and distributions can be recognized more quickly.  

What questions does a Marimekko Chart answer? 

A good Marimekko chart typically answers questions such as: 

• Which categories are especially large overall?  
• How are segments distributed within those categories?  
• Which submarkets are especially important?  
• Where are the opportunities, risks, or areas of concentration?  
• How do structures differ across multiple categories?  

This is especially valuable in strategy, sales, and market presentations because the goal is often not just to show shares, but to show shares in relation to the actual size of the market. 

When should you use a Marimekko Chart? 

A Marimekko chart is useful whenever you want to show size relationships and segment distributions at the same time. It is especially well suited for complex market and portfolio analyses where a simple percentage-based view would not tell the whole story. 

Typical use cases for Marimekko Charts 

A Marimekko chart is especially useful for: 

• Market analysis 
  When market sizes and segment distributions need to be shown together.  
• Portfolio views 
  When you want to compare product groups or business units by both size and structure.  
• Competitive analysis 
  When market segments should be shown in proportion to their economic importance.  
• Sales and revenue structures 
  When revenue shares within categories of different sizes need to be clearly explained.  
• Management and strategy presentations 
  When complex relationships need to be condensed and communicated clearly.  

When should you choose a different format? 

Not every data structure calls for a Marimekko chart. It is less suitable when: 

• only one dimension matters  
• you need to show trends over time  
• the amount of data is very small  
• the audience only needs a simple overview  
• the chart must be understood immediately with very little explanation  

In those cases, other chart types are often a better choice, such as: 

• stacked columns  
• bar charts  
• waterfall charts  
• bubble charts  
• traditional market share charts  

How do you build a Marimekko Chart in PowerPoint? 

In principle, a Marimekko chart can be created in PowerPoint. In practice, however, it is one of the most difficult chart types to build. PowerPoint does not offer a native standard feature that automatically handles the required width and area logic. 

To understand the effort involved, it helps to look at the typical process. 

Option 1: Build a Marimekko Chart Manually with Shapes in PowerPoint 

Because PowerPoint generally does not provide a true native Marimekko chart as a standard chart type, this chart is often built manually. 

Step 1: Prepare the data logic 

Before you begin in PowerPoint, you first need to define the logic outside the chart itself: 

• which categories exist  
• how large each category is overall  
• which segments exist within each category  
• how those segments are distributed, either as percentages or absolute values  
• which areas and proportions should result from that data  

Even at this stage, it becomes clear that a Marimekko chart requires clean mathematical preparation. Without a precise data foundation, the chart will be inaccurate or misleading. 

Step 2: Calculate column widths 

Next, you need to determine the width of each category. Unlike traditional column charts, the columns here are not all the same width. Their width is based on the relative size of each category. 

That means: 

• larger categories receive wider columns  
• smaller categories receive narrower columns  

These widths usually have to be calculated manually and then transferred to the available chart width in PowerPoint. 

Step 3: Calculate segment heights within each category 

Within each column, the individual segments must then be divided up. These segment heights show the internal distribution of each category. 

That means: 

• each column has its own internal structure  
• the sum of all segments within a column equals 100 percent or the category total  
• the resulting areas must be logically correct  

Step 4: Draw the rectangles in PowerPoint 

This is where the actual construction work begins in PowerPoint. The process usually involves: 

• Insert > Shapes > Rectangle  

For each category and each segment, a separate rectangle must be created. These rectangles then need to be: 

• scaled correctly in width  
• calculated correctly in height  
• positioned precisely  
• filled with the right color  
• labeled clearly  

Step 5: Align the segments precisely 

This is where the process becomes especially demanding. All rectangles must connect exactly without gaps or overlaps. Even small inaccuracies can distort the chart’s area logic and make it look unprofessional. 

For that reason, many users also work with: 

• View > Guides  
• View > Grid and Guides  
• manual guide lines or table-based grids  

Step 6: Add labels 

Next, category names, segment labels, percentages, or total values are added. This is usually done with: 

• text boxes  
• manually positioned labels  
• additional lines or annotations  

This becomes difficult very quickly, especially for smaller segments where there is limited space for readable labels. 

Step 7: Clean up the visual design 

At the end, many design details usually still need to be adjusted: 

• harmonize colors  
• standardize fonts
• improve contrast  
• adjust legends  
• add or remove axes or guide elements  
• check spacing and proportions  

Only after that does the chart begin to look presentation-ready. 

What typical mistakes happen with Marimekko Charts in PowerPoint?

In practice, the same issues tend to appear again and again with Marimekko charts. Some affect the data logic, while others affect the design or readability. 

The most common mistakes include: 

• incorrect width relationships between categories
• incorrect segment heights
• visuals that look clean but are mathematically wrong
• too many segments in a single chart  
• unclear or overcrowded labels
• text that is too small
• inconsistent colors
• weak visual hierarchy
• no emphasis on the most important insights  
• too much manual rework when values change

Why is a Marimekko Chart so difficult to create with native PowerPoint features? 

A Marimekko chart is one of the chart types that cannot be created comfortably with native PowerPoint tools alone.

1. PowerPoint does not offer true built-in Marimekko chart logic 

Unlike simple column or bar charts, PowerPoint generally does not provide a standard function that automatically combines category widths and segment distributions correctly. 

That means the actual chart intelligence is missing. 

2. Two dimensions must be built accurately at the same time 

With a Marimekko chart, not only the heights must be correct, but also the widths. That is what makes it much more complex than many other chart types. 

You therefore need to make sure that: 

• the total width of each category is correct  
• the segment distribution within each category is correct  
• the resulting areas are logically consistent  

3. Changes often create a great deal of follow-up work 

When values change, it rarely ends with one small correction. Instead, multiple elements often need to be adjusted again: 

• column widths
• segment heights
• positions
• labels
• legends
• visual balance

That makes ongoing maintenance especially time-consuming. 

4. Labels are difficult 

Labels become especially challenging in small or narrow segments. Common problems include: 

• too little space for text  
• overlapping labels  
• inconsistent or visually noisy label positions  
• values that are hard to read  

5. Consistency across a team is difficult to maintain

When multiple people create these charts, differences quickly appear without clear tool support, especially in: 

• colors  
• segmentation  
• proportions  
• labels
• overall quality
• brand consistency  

That is especially critical in consulting-style or executive-level presentations. 

Why should you use empower^® to create Marimekko Charts in PowerPoint? 

With the charting add-in empower^®, even demanding chart types in PowerPoint can be created in a more structured, faster, and more professional way.  

Anyone who creates Marimekko charts in PowerPoint quickly realizes that native features often require a disproportionate amount of effort. These charts require more than just data visualization. They also require the precise construction of area logic, clean segment structure, and clearly placed labels. In more complex market or portfolio analyses, that can consume a great deal of time. 

How does empower^®  help specifically with Marimekko Charts? 

The main advantage of empower^® is that users do not have to manually assemble complex charts every time using shapes, guide lines, and text boxes. Instead, the creation process becomes more efficient and more reliable. 

This is especially valuable when: 

• charts are needed on a regular basis
• numbers change
• multiple people work under the same presentation standards
• high visual quality is required
• brand-compliant results matter

Why is that especially important for Marimekko Charts? 

Because Marimekko charts are among the chart types where the technical construction work takes up an enormous amount of time. The challenge is not just to display values, but to combine two dimensions in a way that is both logically correct and visually clean. 

With specialized support, that complexity becomes much easier to manage. The benefit is not just speed, but also: 

• lower risk of error  
• better updateability  
• greater consistency  
• more professional visual quality  

What specific advantages does empower^® offer?

With empower^®, teams benefit from: 

• less manual construction work
• faster creation of complex charts
• easier updates when data changes
• cleaner and more consistent results
• better reusability across teams
• higher visual quality in PowerPoint
• more professional presentations with less rework

What should a good tool for Marimekko Charts in PowerPoint be able to do? 

A good charting tool should not just make attractive charts possible. It should solve the real weaknesses of the native process. 

That includes the following requirements in particular: 

• easy creation even with complex data
• logically correct area and segment structure
• simple updates when values change
• consistent visual execution
• clear labeling
• brand-compliant output
• lower risk of error
• good reusability across teams

That is exactly why, in practice, there is such a large difference between “you can build it somehow” and “you can build it professionally and efficiently.” 

Conclusion: Is it worth creating Marimekko Charts in PowerPoint with empower^®? 

Yes, especially when Marimekko charts are not just rare one-off cases, but a recurring part of professional presentations. 

A Marimekko chart is one of the strongest formats for showing size relationships and segment distributions at the same time. At the same time, it is one of the most demanding chart types in PowerPoint. Native creation is often tedious, error-prone, and difficult to maintain when changes are needed. 

That is exactly why it makes sense to use an approach that structures the process, simplifies it, and makes it more reliable. 

With empower^®, even complex chart types, like also Gantt charts, can be created in PowerPoint much more easily and quickly. This not only saves time, but also leads to more consistent, more professional, and more dependable results. 

Anyone who regularly visualizes market structures, portfolios, or segment distributions in PowerPoint needs more than just a chart. They need a reliable way to build it. That is exactly where empower^® provides strong support. 

FAQ: Creating Marimekko Charts 

What is a Marimekko chart? 
A Marimekko chart is an area-based chart that simultaneously visualizes category size and the distribution of subsegments within each category. 

What is a Marimekko chart used for? 
It is used to show market structures, portfolio distributions, or segment shares in relation to the total size of each category. 

When should a Marimekko chart be used? 
It should be used when two dimensions need to be shown at the same time, such as category size and segment distribution. 

Why is it often difficult to create one in PowerPoint? 
Because PowerPoint generally does not provide built-in Marimekko chart logic, widths, heights, areas, labels, and updates often have to be built and maintained manually. 

Why is empower^® useful for Marimekko charts in PowerPoint? 
Because it allows even complex charts to be created faster, in a more structured way, and with greater consistency, while reducing manual work and improving updateability. 

What is the advantage of using empower^® to create Marimekko charts? 
With empower^®, you benefit from less effort, faster updates, more professional results, and a more reliable workflow for complex charts.