Households in the US by Their Annual Income in 2007, 2011 and 2015 - Task 1 Bar Graph Band 9 Report

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The chart below shows the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

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Model Answer 1

The bar chart illustrates the number of households in the US, categorized by their annual income in 2007, 2011, and 2015. The data is divided into five income brackets, ranging from less than $25,000 to $100,000 or more.

Overall, the number of households earning more than $100,000 showed the most significant growth, while the lower-income categories experienced fluctuations during the period. By 2015, the wealthiest group became the largest, whereas the $75,000–$99,999 bracket consistently had the fewest households.

Looking at the details, the income group earning $100,000 or more saw the most significant increase over the period. In 2007, approximately 29 million households fell into this category, which dipped slightly to 27 million in 2011 but then rose sharply to 33 million by 2015, securing its position as the largest income group by the end of the period. Meanwhile, in 2007, the number of households in the lower-income brackets — less than $25,000 and $25,000–$49,999 — stood at around 25 million and 27 million, respectively. Both of these categories saw an increase in 2011, rising to 28 million and 30 million households. However, by 2015, they experienced a slight decline, though they remained among the largest income groups throughout the timeframe.

Shifting focus to the middle-income brackets, households earning between $50,000 and $74,999 experienced steady growth, increasing from 21 million in 2007 to 22 million in 2011, and stabilizing at that level through 2015. In contrast, while the $75,000–$99,999 group also fluctuated, its pattern was less pronounced. It declined slightly to 13 million in 2011 but recovered to 15 million by 2015, remaining the smallest income group across all years.

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Model Answer 2

The bar chart presents an overview of American household income distribution at three different points: 2007, 2011, and 2015. Overall, the data illustrates that while most income brackets experienced only modest shifts, the highest income group distinctly bucked this trend with a consistent and notable increase over the period.

In 2007, households earning less than $25,000 numbered approximately 25 million, a figure which marginally climbed to 29 million by 2011 before receding to 27 million in 2015. A similar pattern was observed in the $25,000-$49,999 bracket, with an initial increase from 26 million to 30 million, followed by a slight decline to 28 million. Conversely, households with earnings of $50,000-$74,999 exhibited unwavering stability, consistently charting at 21 million across all surveyed years.

Households within the $75,000-$99,999 income range experienced a slight dip from 14 million in 2007 to 13 million in 2011, but this was subsequently offset by a rebound to 15 million by 2015. Most strikingly, the income category exceeding $100,000 showcased a significant and continuous upward trajectory, escalating from 25 million households in 2007 to an impressive 35 million by 2015.

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Model Answer 3

The bar chart delineates the distribution of households in the United States according to various annual income brackets in the years 2007, 2011, and 2015. These figures are represented in millions and cover five distinct income categories, ranging from under $25,000 to $100,000 or more.

A salient feature of the data is the incremental growth in the number of households earning $100,000 or more, starting from a modest 30 million in 2007 to reaching approximately 34 million by 2015. This category is in stark contrast to the household income bracket of $75,000 to $99,999, which experienced the least variability and hovered around 14 million across the observed years.

Interestingly, the households with incomes between $50,000 and $74,999 demonstrated remarkable stability, consistently maintaining a count close to 21 million throughout the years in question. Conversely, the lowest income brackets—those earning less than $25,000 and those within the $25,000 to $49,999 range—saw initial peaks in 2011, with counts reaching 28 and 30 million respectively, but subsequently declined to levels slightly below their 2007 figures by 2015.

Conversely, the mid-range income category of $25,000 to $49,999 deserves particular mention as it underwent a notable oscillation. After an initial uptick in 2011, it reversed its trajectory and settled at around 28 million households in 2015.

Model Answer 4

The bar graph elucidates the households in the US by their annual income strata for the years 2007, 2011, and 2015. Expressed in millions, the data encompasses five disparate income echelons, extending from sub-$25,000 to $100,000 and beyond.

A conspicuous trend that manifests in the data is the ascendant trajectory of households in the highest income echelon—those amassing $100,000 or more annually. This specific category embarked on a gradual but undeniable ascent, commencing at a modest 30 million households in 2007 and culminating at an approximate 34 million by 2015. This upward mobility serves as a striking juxtaposition to the $75,000-$99,999 income bracket, which remained notably static, oscillating around the 14-million mark throughout the given temporal frame.

Equally compelling is the unflappable consistency exhibited by households situated in the $50,000-$74,999 income tier. Their numbers steadfastly hovered around the 21-million threshold across the scrutinized time period. In a diametrically opposite vein, the income strata at the lower end of the spectrum—specifically, households earning under $25,000 and those within the $25,000-$49,999 bracket—witnessed transient zeniths in 2011, surging to 28 and 30 million, respectively. However, these figures subsequently regressed, aligning more closely with their 2007 baseline by the year 2015.

Furthermore, the income category spanning $25,000-$49,999 merits heightened attention due to its pronounced volatility. After achieving a transient apogee in 2011, this bracket underwent a retracement, ultimately stabilizing at approximately 28 million households by 2015.

Model Answer 5

The provided bar chart delineates the number of households for each annual income category in 2007, 2011 and 2015. Overall, the number of households stayed at approximately the same for all annual income categories, except the households with an annual income of $100,000 or more, which saw the biggest increase in their numbers.

The number of households with an annual income of less than $25,000 rose slightly between 2007 and 2011 from 25 million to 29 million. However, this figure saw a reduction afterwards, declining to 27 million by 2015. A similar trajectory was followed by the number of households with an annual salary of between $25,000 and $49,999. Commencing with 26 million in 2007, the number climbed to 30 million by 2011 and decreased to 28 million by 2015, representing an increase of 4 million and a decrease of 2 million respectively. Furthermore, the number of households with a yearly income of $100,000 or more had the same trend as well. It demonstrated the biggest increment among all data between 2011 and 2015, surging by 10 million from 25 million to 35 million.

In contrast to the fluctuations in those three annual income categories, the number of households with an annual wage of $50,000-$74,000 stayed stable at 21 million. The figure for the $75,000-$99,999 was relatively stable as well, despite a dip from 14 million in 2007 to 13 million in 2011. This category saw an increase of 2 million subsequently to recover, having only a minor change of 1 million between 2007 and 2015.

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