The table below gives statistics about the size of US households over a number of years. (Household = all the people living together in one house). Study the information and answer the question.
Write a short report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
| Year | Per cent distribution of number of households | Average population per household | ||||||
| 1 person | 2 person | 3 person | 4 person | 5 person | 6 person | 7 person | ||
| 1790 | 3.7% | 7.8% | 11.7% | 13.9% | 13.9% | 13.2 | 35.8% | 5.4 |
| 1890 | 3.6% | 13.2% | 16.7% | 16.8% | 15.1% | 11.6% | 23.0% | 4.9 |
| 1990 | 24.6% | 32.2% | 17.2% | 15.6% | 6.7% | 2.3% | 1.4% | 2.6 |
Sample Answer
The table provides data on the distribution of US household sizes from 1790 to 1990. The information reveals a significant shift in household composition over this period.
In 1790, the most common household size consisted of seven members, accounting for 35.8% of all households. However, by 1990, the average household size had decreased to 2.6 members. This decline can be attributed to several factors, including increased urbanization, later marriages, rising divorce rates, and a growing trend towards single-person households.
The percentage of one-person households increased dramatically over the century. In 1790, only 3.7% of households consisted of a single person. By 1990, this figure had risen to 24.6%. Conversely, the proportion of larger households, with six or more members, declined significantly. In 1790, 35.8% of households had seven members or more, while in 1990, only 1.4% of households had seven members or more.
Overall, the data indicates a clear trend towards smaller household sizes in the United States over the past two centuries. This shift has been influenced by a variety of social, economic, and cultural factors.
You must be able to comprehend, interpret, and express a variety of diagrams on the IELTS Writing Task 1 exam, including flowcharts and statistics graphs. You must choose the image’s key elements and write a report on them in order to accomplish this. Such inquiries could be compared to news pieces that seek to present facts honestly.
