Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Consumer spending on various items across five different countries in 2002

The table below shows consumer spending on different items in 5 countries in 2002.

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

Percentage of national consumer expenditure by category - 2002

Country	Food/Drinks/Tobacco	Clothing/Footwear	Leisure/Education
Ireland	28.91%	6.43%	2.21%
Italy	16.36%	9.00%	3.20%
Spain	18.80%	6.51%	1.98%
Sweden	15.77%	5.40%	3.22%
Turkey	32.14%	6.63%	4.35%

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 table illustrates the percentage of national consumer expenditure allocated to three distinct categories—food/drinks/tobacco, clothing/footwear, and leisure/education—across five countries in 2002.

Overall, it is evident that food, drinks, and tobacco constituted the primary expense for all nations, whereas leisure and education consistently received the lowest financial commitment. Turkey and Ireland stood out for their significantly higher spending on food-related items compared to the other three countries.

Regarding food, drinks, and tobacco, Turkey recorded the highest expenditure at 32.14%, followed closely by Ireland at 28.91%. In contrast, Sweden and Italy spent the least in this category, with figures of 15.77% and 16.36% respectively. Spain occupied a middle position at 18.80%.

In terms of clothing and footwear, Italy led the group with 9.00% of total expenditure, while Sweden reported the lowest figure at 5.40%. The remaining countries showed relatively similar spending patterns, ranging from 6.43% in Ireland to 6.63% in Turkey. Finally, for leisure and education, Turkey allocated the most at 4.35%, whereas Spain recorded the lowest proportion at just 1.98%. Ireland also showed a notably low figure of 2.21% for this category.

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

How to write about tables

Tables hide the trend: find the highest, lowest and biggest change yourself.
Select; do not list every cell.
Organise paragraphs by row or by column, whichever gives the clearer comparison.

expenditure: The total amount of money spent by someone
constituted: To be the parts that form something
allocated: To set aside money for a specific purpose
proportion: A part or share of a whole amount
consistently: Always behaving or happening in the same way
notably: In a way that is worthy of attention

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Across all five nations, food, drinks, and tobacco consistently accounted for the largest share of consumer expenditure, while leisure and education consistently represented the smallest proportion of spending.

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 tables?

Tables hide the trend: find the highest, lowest and biggest change yourself. Select; do not list every cell. Organise paragraphs by row or by column, whichever gives the clearer comparison.