Academic Writing Task 1 · line graph

Government spending as a percentage of GDP from 2000 to 2025

The given graph shows the past and projected figures of government spending as a percentage of GDP for the years 2000 to 2025 in three areas.

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

Percentage spending of GDP (%)

education
health
roads and railways

View the data

	2000	2005	2010	2015	2020	2025
education	5	4.5	4.3	4.1	4	3.8
health	4	5.5	6	6.3	6.8	7.5
roads and railways	4	4.5	3	3.8	4	3.5

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 line graph illustrates the historical and projected government expenditure as a percentage of GDP across three sectors between 2000 and 2025. Overall, health is the only category showing a consistent upward trend, whereas education and transport infrastructure spending are set to decrease by the end of the period.

In 2000, education accounted for the highest proportion of GDP at 5%, while health and transport infrastructure both stood at 4%. By 2005, health spending rose to 5.5%, overtaking education, which fell to 4.5%. Conversely, spending on roads and railways fluctuated, peaking at 4.5% in 2005 before dropping sharply to a low of 3% in 2010.

From 2010 onwards, health expenditure continued its steady climb, reaching 6.3% in 2015 and projected to hit 7.5% by 2025. In contrast, education spending experienced a gradual decline, falling from 4.3% in 2010 to a projected 3.8% in 2025. Similarly, after a recovery to 4% in 2020, investment in roads and railways is expected to dip to 3.5% by 2025, remaining the lowest of the three categories throughout the final years of the period.

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

How to write about line graphs

Overview first: the overall direction of each line and which was highest.
Group lines that move together instead of describing each one in turn.
Give the start and end figures plus the peak or low point, not every value.

expenditure: The total amount of money spent by government
fluctuated: To rise and fall irregularly in number
proportion: A part or share in relation to whole
projected: Estimated future figures based on current trends
overtaking: To catch up with and surpass in progress
downward trend: A general direction of movement towards lower values

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While health spending is projected to rise significantly over the period, expenditure on education and transport infrastructure is expected to decline overall.

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 line graphs?

Overview first: the overall direction of each line and which was highest. Group lines that move together instead of describing each one in turn. Give the start and end figures plus the peak or low point, not every value.