Academic Writing Task 1 · pie chart

Proportion of consumer spending on various commodities in 1958 and 2008

The charts below show the proportion of people's total spending in a particular European country on different commodities and services in 1958 and 2008.

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

Sales in 1958

Housing: 22
Food: 32
Clothing: 18
Travel/transport: 8
Entertainment: 13
Luxury goods: 7

View the data

Category	Value
Housing	22
Food	32
Clothing	18
Travel/transport	8
Entertainment	13
Luxury goods	7

Sales in 2008

Housing: 32
Food: 12
Clothing: 16
Travel/transport: 17
Entertainment: 6
Luxury goods: 17

View the data

Category	Value
Housing	32
Food	12
Clothing	16
Travel/transport	17
Entertainment	6
Luxury goods	17

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 how consumer spending patterns in a European country shifted between 1958 and 2008 across six categories. Overall, it is clear that while housing became the dominant expense by the end of the period, food consumption saw a dramatic reduction in its share of total expenditure.

In 1958, food was the primary expense, accounting for 32% of total sales, followed by housing at 22% and clothing at 18%. Entertainment and travel/transport represented 13% and 8% respectively, while luxury goods comprised the smallest portion at 7%. By 2008, the landscape had changed significantly. Housing expenditure increased by 10 percentage points to reach 32%, matching the original proportion of food spending. Conversely, food spending plummeted to 12%.

Other notable shifts include the rise of luxury goods and travel/transport, which both more than doubled to reach 17% each by 2008. In contrast, the proportion of income allocated to entertainment more than halved, falling from 13% to just 6%. Clothing remained relatively stable, experiencing only a minor decrease from 18% to 16% over the half-century period.

176 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.

account for: to make up a specific portion of something
plummeted: to fall or drop sharply in value quickly
proportion: a part or share in relation to whole
expenditure: the total amount of money spent by someone
halved: to be reduced to exactly fifty percent
stable: not likely to change or fluctuate significantly

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 most significant changes over the fifty-year period were the substantial rise in spending on housing and luxury goods, contrasted with a sharp decline in expenditure on food and entertainment.

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.