Average Retirement Age for Men and Women in 2004 and 2008 in six different countries
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Bar Graph
IELTS Writing Task 1 Question
The chart below shows the percentage of UK households with selected consumer durables between 1998 and 2005
Common questions for the consumer durables chart
1. Graph Type: Column Graphs
2. Title: Average Retirement Age for Men and Women in 2004 and 2008
3. Units of Measurement: Years
4. Who: Men and women in six different countries.
5. When: Years 2004 and 2008.
6. Where: Six different countries.
7. Topic: Comparison of retirement ages for men and women
Comparison Showing and Trends
Any change over time (such as an increase or a decrease) is a trend
Comparison 1: Denmark
– Details
- In Denmark, both men and women had the same retirement age in 2004, at 60 and 59 years respectively.
- By 2008, both genders had retired at the age of 61.
Comparison 2: France
– Details
- France had the lowest average retirement age, with men retiring at 58 years in 2004 and at 59 years in 2008.
- Women’s retirement age remained consistent at 58 years across both years.
Comparison 3: Italy
– Details
- Italian men had a stable retirement age of 60 years in both 2004 and 2008.
- Women retired younger, with their ages being 58 in 2004 and 59 in 2008.
Comparison 4: Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK
– Details
- In the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK, both males and females saw an increase of one year in retirement age from 2004 to 2008.
Sample Answer
The column graphs illustrate the average retirement age for men and women in six countries for 2004 and 2008.
Overall, the retirement age increased across all countries except in Italy for men and in France for women, where it remained unchanged. However, a striking feature of the graphs is that Sweden had the highest retirement age for both sexes compared to the other countries analyzed.
In Denmark, men and women retired at ages 60 and 59, respectively, in 2004, but by 2008, both genders retired at age 61. France had the lowest average retirement age, with men retiring at 58 years in 2004 and 59 in 2008, while women’s retirement age remained constant at 58 for both years.
Italian men maintained their retirement age at 60 in both 2004 and 2008. In contrast, women retired younger, at ages 58 in 2004 and 59 in 2008. A similar pattern of one-year increases in retirement age was noted among men and women in the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK from 2004 to 2008.
Top 24 Vocabularies
| Vocabulary | Type | Meaning | Synonyms | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illustrate | Verb | To clarify or explain using visuals or examples | Demonstrate, depict, show | “The graphs illustrate the average retirement age in various countries.” |
| Retirement | Noun | The period of life when one stops working | Withdrawal, cessation, pension | “The retirement age increased in all countries except for Italy.” |
| Consistent | Adjective | Unchanging or stable | Steady, uniform, constant | “Women’s retirement age remained consistent at 58 years.” |
| Maintain | Verb | To keep something in a particular state | Preserve, continue, sustain | “Italian men maintained their retirement age at 60 in both years.” |
| Conclusion | Noun | A final decision or summary of findings | Summary, result, outcome | “Sweden had the highest retirement age among the countries analyzed.” |
| Increase | Verb | To become or make something larger in amount | Rise, grow, escalate | “The retirement age increased in most countries.” |
| Feature | Noun | An important or characteristic part of something | Characteristic, trait, aspect | “A striking feature of the graphs is the high retirement age in Sweden.” |
| Average | Noun | The typical amount or mean | Mean, norm, median | “The average retirement age for men and women is shown in the graph.” |
| Noted | Verb | To observe or acknowledge | Recorded, mentioned, observed | “A similar pattern of increase was noted among men and women.” |
| Unchanged | Adjective | Not altered or modified | Constant, static, stable | “The retirement age in France remained unchanged for women.” |
| Striking | Adjective | Remarkable or impressive | Notable, significant, eye-catching | “A striking feature of the graphs is Sweden’s high retirement age.” |
| Contrast | Verb | To compare in order to highlight differences | Compare, differ, vary | “Italian men and women showed a contrast in their retirement age trends.” |
| Significant | Adjective | Important or worthy of attention | Meaningful, considerable, notable | “The significant increase in retirement age was observed in several countries.” |
| Retire | Verb | To stop working after reaching a certain age | Withdraw, stop working, resign | “Men and women in Denmark retired at 60 and 59 in 2004.” |
| Trend | Noun | A general direction or pattern of change | Pattern, tendency, movement | “A trend toward an increased retirement age was visible in most countries.” |
| Age | Noun | The length of time a person has lived or existed | Years, lifespan, seniority | “The retirement age is based on the average age when people stop working.” |
| Compare | Verb | To examine similarities and differences | Contrast, differentiate, assess | “The retirement age was compared across different countries.” |
| Remarkable | Adjective | Worthy of attention or extraordinary | Notable, exceptional, outstanding | “Sweden’s retirement age was remarkably high in comparison to other countries.” |
| Pattern | Noun | A repeated or consistent arrangement or trend | Design, sequence, model | “The pattern of retirement age increases was consistent across many countries.” |
| Fluctuate | Verb | To change or vary irregularly | Vary, oscillate, swing | “Retirement age in France fluctuated slightly over the years.” |
| Conclude | Verb | To bring to a close or reach a judgment | Decide, finish, determine | “The analysis concluded that Sweden had the highest retirement age.” |
| Constant | Adjective | Consistent over time or unchanging | Unchanging, steady, fixed | “The retirement age for women in France remained constant.” |
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