Activity Rings Progress Chart in Matplotlib (Python)

The same plot in 14 other libraries — Python: Altair, Bokeh, lets-plot, Plotly, plotnine, Pygal, Seaborn; R: ggplot2; Julia: Makie.jl; JavaScript: Chart.js, D3.js, Apache ECharts, Highcharts, MUI X Charts. Compare all 15 side by side: Activity Rings Progress Chart in Python, R, Julia and JavaScript.

An activity rings chart displays goal completion for several metrics at once using concentric radial progress arcs, in the style popularized by fitness trackers. Each ring is a partial arc with rounded end caps that starts at the top (12 o'clock) and sweeps clockwise in proportion to how close the metric is to its goal, with a distinct color per metric and a faint background track showing the full circle. It is instantly recognizable and ideal for at-a-glance comparison of progress across a small set of related goals, filling the general radial-progress gap that needle gauges (`gauge-basic`) and polar bars (`polar-bar`) do not cover.

Activity Rings Progress Chart rendered with Matplotlib

Renders

Python source (Matplotlib)

""" anyplot.ai
gauge-activity-rings: Activity Rings Progress Chart
Library: matplotlib 3.11.0 | Python 3.13.13
Quality: 87/100 | Created: 2026-06-14
"""

import os

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
from matplotlib.patches import Circle, Wedge


# Theme tokens (Imprint palette + chrome)
THEME = os.getenv("ANYPLOT_THEME", "light")
PAGE_BG = "#FAF8F1" if THEME == "light" else "#1A1A17"
INK = "#1A1A17" if THEME == "light" else "#F0EFE8"
INK_MUTED = "#6B6A63" if THEME == "light" else "#A8A79F"

IMPRINT_PALETTE = ["#009E73", "#C475FD", "#4467A3", "#BD8233", "#AE3030", "#2ABCCD", "#954477", "#99B314"]

# Daily fitness goal data — Move / Exercise / Stand
metrics = [
    {"name": "Move", "value": 420, "goal": 600, "unit": "kcal"},
    {"name": "Exercise", "value": 28, "goal": 30, "unit": "min"},
    {"name": "Stand", "value": 9, "goal": 12, "unit": "hr"},
]
ring_colors = IMPRINT_PALETTE[:3]  # green → lavender → blue
radii = [0.78, 0.53, 0.28]  # outer → inner (mid-radius of each ring)
RING_WIDTH = 0.115  # ring thickness in data units (~linewidth 20pt equivalent)

fractions = [min(m["value"] / m["goal"], 1.0) for m in metrics]
avg_pct = sum(fractions) / len(fractions)

# Plot — square canvas for circular rings
fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(6, 6), dpi=400, facecolor=PAGE_BG)
ax.set_facecolor(PAGE_BG)
ax.set_aspect("equal")
ax.set_xlim(-1.1, 1.1)
ax.set_ylim(-1.1, 1.1)
ax.axis("off")

for _metric, color, r, frac in zip(metrics, ring_colors, radii, fractions, strict=False):
    outer_r = r + RING_WIDTH / 2

    # Background track — full Wedge ring at low opacity
    ax.add_patch(
        Wedge((0, 0), outer_r, 0, 360, width=RING_WIDTH, facecolor=color, edgecolor="none", alpha=0.15, zorder=2)
    )

    if frac > 0:
        # Progress arc — Wedge sweeping clockwise from 90° (12 o'clock)
        # Wedge uses CCW angles from positive x-axis; clockwise sweep maps to theta2=90, theta1=90-frac*360
        theta1_deg = 90 - frac * 360
        ax.add_patch(
            Wedge((0, 0), outer_r, theta1_deg, 90, width=RING_WIDTH, facecolor=color, edgecolor="none", zorder=3)
        )

        # Rounded caps — half-circle at each endpoint of the progress arc
        cap_r = RING_WIDTH / 2
        # Start cap at 12 o'clock
        ax.add_patch(Circle((0.0, r), cap_r, facecolor=color, edgecolor="none", zorder=4))
        # End cap at arc terminus
        theta_end = np.radians(theta1_deg)
        ax.add_patch(
            Circle((r * np.cos(theta_end), r * np.sin(theta_end)), cap_r, facecolor=color, edgecolor="none", zorder=4)
        )

# Center summary — overall average progress
ax.text(0, 0.06, f"{avg_pct:.0%}", ha="center", va="center", fontsize=22, fontweight="bold", color=INK, zorder=5)
ax.text(0, -0.10, "Daily Goals", ha="center", va="center", fontsize=9, color=INK_MUTED, zorder=5)

# Title
title = "gauge-activity-rings · python · matplotlib · anyplot.ai"
n = len(title)
title_fs = max(8, round(12 * 67 / n)) if n > 67 else 12
ax.set_title(title, fontsize=title_fs, fontweight="medium", color=INK, pad=14)

# Per-ring metric labels below the chart (figure coordinates) — tightened gap
fig.subplots_adjust(left=0.05, right=0.95, top=0.93, bottom=0.12)
label_ys = [0.160, 0.127, 0.094]

for i, (metric, color, frac) in enumerate(zip(metrics, ring_colors, fractions, strict=False)):
    pct = f"{frac:.0%}"
    label = f"●  {metric['name']}     {metric['value']} / {metric['goal']} {metric['unit']}     ({pct})"
    fig.text(0.50, label_ys[i], label, ha="center", va="top", fontsize=10, color=color)

plt.savefig(f"plot-{THEME}.png", dpi=400, facecolor=PAGE_BG)
plt.close()

Retrieve this implementation

Runnable source as JSON, for any HTTP client: https://api.anyplot.ai/specs/gauge-activity-rings/matplotlib/code. Any spec id and library id listed in llms-full.txt fit the same URL shape; every URL below is complete and callable.

{
  "spec_id": "gauge-activity-rings",
  "language": "python",
  "library": "matplotlib",
  "page": "https://anyplot.ai/gauge-activity-rings/python/matplotlib",
  "hub": "https://anyplot.ai/gauge-activity-rings",
  "code_json": "https://api.anyplot.ai/specs/gauge-activity-rings/matplotlib/code",
  "spec_json": "https://api.anyplot.ai/specs/gauge-activity-rings",
  "render_light_png": "https://storage.googleapis.com/anyplot-images/plots/gauge-activity-rings/python/matplotlib/plot-light.png",
  "render_dark_png": "https://storage.googleapis.com/anyplot-images/plots/gauge-activity-rings/python/matplotlib/plot-dark.png",
  "quality_score": 87.0,
  "license": "MIT",
  "guide": "https://anyplot.ai/llms.txt"
}

Part of Activity Rings Progress Chart on anyplot.ai.

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