Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Demographic and Economic Statistics for California, Utah, and Florida

The table below shows information about age, average income per person, and population below the poverty line in three states in the USA.

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

Demographic and Economic Data for Three US States

Category	California	Utah	Florida
Aged under 18	17%	28%	16%
Aged over 60	13%	8%	23%
Average income per person ($)	23,000	17,000	22,000
Population below poverty line	16%	9%	12%

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 demographic and economic variations across California, Utah, and Florida, specifically comparing age distributions, average income, and poverty levels.

Overall, Utah is characterised by a significantly younger population and the lowest poverty rate among the three states. Conversely, Florida exhibits the oldest demographic profile, while California reports the highest average income per person.

Regarding age, Utah has a notably high proportion of residents aged under 18 at 28%, which is nearly double the figures for California (17%) and Florida (16%). In contrast, Florida has the largest elderly population, with 23% of its residents aged over 60, compared to 13% in California and only 8% in Utah.

In terms of economic indicators, California leads with an average income of $23,000 per person, followed closely by Florida at $22,000. Utah records the lowest average income at $17,000. Despite this lower income, Utah has the smallest percentage of its population living below the poverty line at 9%. California experiences the highest poverty rate at 16%, while Florida sits in the middle with 12% of its population falling below the poverty threshold.

180 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.

characterised by: having a particular feature or quality as typical
conversely: introducing a statement that reverses a previous one
notably: in a way that is worthy of attention
proportion: a part, share, or number considered in comparison
exhibits: to manifest or display a particular quality
threshold: the level or point at which something starts

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Utah stands out for having the youngest population and the lowest poverty rate, while Florida has the highest proportion of elderly residents.

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.