Bar Chart #57 – The charts compare the number of people per household in the UK in 1981 and 2001

Task 01: Bar chart

The charts compare the number of people per household in the UK in 1981 and 2001

Model Answer 1:

The two stacked bar charts detail the UK’s household demographics in 1981 and 2001. The initial impression from the chart is that 1-person and 2-person households were the second most and the most common family classifications in both given years, and they also experienced rises in percentages. The remaining groups made up smaller proportions and underwent corresponding drops, with the 6-person household being the least popular one.

In 1981, 2-person household made up 31%, ranking first among the given household type, after which the rate underwent a mild rise to 34% in 2001. A similar picture is evident in 1-person household, with its figure accounting for 17% and thereafter rising to 26% in 2001.

Opposite patterns could be observed with regard to the remaining groups. In 1981 the shares of 3-person, 4-person, 5-person and 6-person were 20%, 18%, 8% and 6% respectively. Over the next 20 years, they all decreased by similar margins (of around 2-3%) to 17%, 15%, 6% and 2%.

(162 words)

Model Answer 2:

The charts illustrate the percentage of different sized households in the UK, in 1981 and 2001.

Overall, the most common sized household in both measured years was that of 2-person households, while 6-person households were the least common. Additionally, while the percentage of 1-person and 2-person households increased, the percentage of all other sized households decreased.

In 1981, 31% of all households contained 2 people, while 20% of households contained 3 people. 1-person and 4-person households made up similar percentages, at 17% and 18% respectively, whereas 5-person and 6-person households only made up 8% and 6% of the total.

By 2001, the proportion of 1-person and 2-person households had risen to 26% and 34% respectively. Meanwhile, the proportion of all other sized households had decreased, with 3 and 4-person households dropping to similar levels, at 17% and 15% respectively, and 5 and 6-person households dropping to 6% and 2% respectively.

(150 words)