Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

A Comparison of the Age Structures of France and India in 1984

The charts below compare the age structure of the populations of France and India in 1984.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

France 1984 (percentage)

Male
Female

View the data

	0-4	5-9	10-14	15-19	20-24	25-29	30-34	35-39	40-44	45-49	50-54	55-59	60-64	65-69	70-74	75-79	80-84	85+
Male	3.5	3.5	4	4.5	4.5	4	3.5	3.5	3	3	3.5	3.5	3.5	3	2.5	2	1.5	1
Female	3.5	3.5	4	4.5	4.5	4	3.5	3.5	3	3	3.5	3.5	3.5	3.5	3	2.5	2	1.5

India 1984 (percentage)

Male
Female

View the data

	0-4	5-9	10-14	15-19	20-24	25-29	30-34	35-39	40-44	45-49	50-54	55-59	60-64	65-69	70-74	75-79	80-84	85+
Male	6	5.5	5	4.5	4	3.5	3	2.5	2.5	2	2	1.5	1.5	1	1	0.5	0.5	0.5
Female	6	5.5	5	4.5	4	3.5	3	2.5	2.5	2	2	1.5	1.5	1	1	0.5	0.5	0.5

Chart redrawn by BandLadder from the data in the original IELTS practice task. Many IELTS practice tasks come from the Cambridge IELTS series (Cambridge University Press & Assessment); all rights in the original tasks remain with their owners.

Band 8 sample answer

The provided population pyramids illustrate the age distribution of France and India in 1984. Overall, it is clear that India had a much younger population compared to France, which maintained a more balanced demographic structure across all age brackets.

In India, the population pyramid shows a wide base, indicating high birth rates. Approximately 6% of both males and females were in the 0-4 age group, and this figure gradually declined as age increased. By the 20-24 age bracket, the percentage had dropped to 4%, and it continued to decrease steadily, with only about 0.5% of the population aged 80 or older. This suggests a high proportion of young people and a relatively low life expectancy.

Conversely, France’s population structure was more uniform. The largest age groups were 15-19 and 20-24, both accounting for approximately 4.5% of the population for each gender. Unlike India, the percentage of the population in France remained relatively stable between 3% and 4.5% for most age groups up to 64. Furthermore, France had a significantly higher proportion of elderly citizens, with 1% to 2% of the population aged 80 and above, reflecting a higher life expectancy.

190 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

How to write about bar charts

Compare the biggest and smallest bars before anything else.
If the bars show years, describe change; if they show places, describe rank.
Round sensibly and say 'just over' or 'nearly' rather than guessing decimals.

Demographic: Relating to the structure of human populations
Expansive: Covering a wide area or having broad scope
Uniform: Remaining the same in all cases and times
Proportion: A part, share, or number considered in relation
Conversely: Introduces a statement that reverses a previous one
Bracket: A group or classification within a range

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

The population structures of France and India in 1984 differed significantly, with India exhibiting a classic expansive pyramid shape while France displayed a more uniform distribution across age groups.

How long should an IELTS Task 1 answer be?

At least 150 words; 170 to 200 is the safe range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

How do I describe bar charts?

Compare the biggest and smallest bars before anything else. If the bars show years, describe change; if they show places, describe rank. Round sensibly and say 'just over' or 'nearly' rather than guessing decimals.