Academic Writing Task 1 · pie chart

Average household expenditure patterns in a country between 1950 and 2010

The pie charts below show the average household expenditures in a country in 1950 and 2010.

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

Average household expenditures in 1950

Housing: 72.1
Food: 11.2
Health care: 2.4
Education: 6.6
Transportation: 3.3
Other: 4.4

View the data

Category	Value
Housing	72.1
Food	11.2
Health care	2.4
Education	6.6
Transportation	3.3
Other	4.4

Average household expenditures in 2010

Housing: 22
Food: 34
Health care: 4.5
Education: 6.3
Transportation: 14
Other: 19.2

View the data

Category	Value
Housing	22
Food	34
Health care	4.5
Education	6.3
Transportation	14
Other	19.2

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 two pie charts illustrate changes in the average household expenditure across six categories in a specific country between 1950 and 2010. Overall, it is clear that the proportion of income spent on housing decreased substantially, whereas spending on food, transportation, and other miscellaneous items saw considerable growth.

In 1950, housing was by far the most significant expense, accounting for 72.1% of total household expenditure. In contrast, food represented only 11.2%, while education, other expenses, transportation, and health care made up smaller portions at 6.6%, 4.4%, 3.3%, and 2.4% respectively. By 2010, the landscape of expenditure had changed significantly. Housing costs dropped sharply to 22.0%, making it the second-largest category after food, which surged to 34.0%.

Regarding the remaining categories, spending on transportation increased more than fourfold, rising from 3.3% in 1950 to 14.0% in 2010. Similarly, the 'other' category saw a notable rise, reaching 19.2%. Health care expenditure nearly doubled to 4.5%, while the proportion allocated to education remained relatively stable, experiencing a slight decline from 6.6% to 6.3% over the sixty-year period.

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

How to write about pie charts

Name the largest and smallest shares in the overview.
Use proportion language: a quarter, just under half, the majority.
With two pies, compare the same slice across both.

plummeting: falling or dropping sharply in amount or value
proportion: a part or share in relation to whole
surged: increased suddenly and powerfully in a quantity
allocated: distributed for a particular purpose or use
stable: not likely to change or fail suddenly
miscellaneous: consisting of many different kinds of things

Write your own report and get a band

Take a timed Academic writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Practise IELTS Academic writing

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app.

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

The data indicates a dramatic shift in spending habits, with housing costs plummeting while food and other expenses rose significantly over the sixty-year period.

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 pie charts?

Name the largest and smallest shares in the overview. Use proportion language: a quarter, just under half, the majority. With two pies, compare the same slice across both.