You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table below shows the monthly expenditure of an average Australian family in 1991 and 2001.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Sample answer:
The table describes how an average Australian household managed their monthly spending in 1991 and a decade later.
In 1991, expenditure on other goods and services was by far the highest, at 250 AUD, followed by the figure for food, at 155 AUD. Housing expenses made up the third biggest spending category with 95 AUD, while spending on utilities (electricity and water) and transport was roughly the same, at around 70 AUD. In contrast, merely 30 AUD was spent on clothing monthly, making it the smallest expense for an Australian household.
By 2001, family budget allocation had changed considerably in Australia. Spending on clothing and transport was reduced to 20 and 45 AUD respectively. Electricity and water bills, however, went up to 120 AUD – more than a 50% rise. Similarly, Australian families were spending 5 AUD more on food and housing in 2001 than in 1991, at 160 and 100 AUD respectively. Expenditure on other goods and services also grew, reaching 270 AUD. All these changes brought the total monthly spending figure to 715 AUD, 40 AUD more than the first year.
Overall, family expenditure on all categories grew with the exception of clothing and transport. It is also worth mentioning that an average Australian family expended the most on other goods and services and the least on clothing in both years. Finally, the total monthly expenditure of an Australian family had grown by 2001.
235 words,
