The percentage of 18-25 year olds in universities in four different countries

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Line Graph

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IELTS Writing Task 1 Question

The graph below shows the percentage of 18-25 year olds in universities in four different countries. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Common Questions for the Line Graph

1. Graph Type: Line Graph

2. Title: Percentage of 18–25-Year-Olds in Universities in Four Countries (1961–2011)

3. What are the units of measurement?: Percentage of university students

4. Who: 18–25-year-olds in Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand

5. When: 1961 to 2011

6. Where: Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand

7. Topic: Trends in university attendance among young adults

Comparison Showing and Trends Any change over time (such as an increase or a decrease) is a trend.

Comparison 1 : Singapore and Thailand (Higher Percentages)

Details:

1. Singapore: Increased from 15% in 1961 to 40% in 2011, despite some fluctuations.

2. Thailand: Dropped from 24% to 20% by 1991 but surged to nearly 40% by 2011.

Comparison 2 : Malaysia and Philippines (Lower Percentages)

Details:

1. Malaysia: Rose steadily from 2% in 1961 to 15% in 1991, stabilizing afterward.

2. Philippines: Increased from 7% in 1961 to just under 20% by 2011, showing consistent growth.

Sample Answer

The line graph illustrates the percentage of 18–25-year-olds attending universities in Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand between 1961 and 2011.

Overall, university attendance increased across all four countries, with Singapore and Thailand showing the highest proportions by 2011.

In 1961, only 2% of Malaysian students pursued tertiary education, rising significantly to 15% by 1991. This figure then stabilized and remained unchanged through 2011. Similarly, the Philippines started at 7% in 1961 and experienced steady growth, reaching just under 20% by 2011.

Singapore saw a significant increase in university attendance, starting at 15% in 1961 and reaching 40% by 2011. While fluctuations occurred during this period, the overall trend remained upward. In Thailand, university attendance began at 24% in 1961 but decreased slightly to 20% by 1991. However, there was a dramatic increase thereafter, nearly doubling to 40% by 2011.

Top 28 Vocabularies

Vocabulary	Type	Meaning	Synonyms	Examples
Tertiary Education	noun	Education at the university or college level	Higher education, Post-secondary education	Malaysia saw steady growth in tertiary education enrollment.
Fluctuation	noun	Irregular rise and fall	Variation, Oscillation	Singapore experienced fluctuations but showed an upward trend.
Stabilize	verb	To become steady or consistent	Level off, Balance	Malaysia’s percentage stabilized at 15% after 1991.
Dramatic	Adjective	Noticeable and significant	Sharp, Remarkable	Thailand showed a dramatic rise in university attendance after 1991.
Proportion	Noun	A part or share of a whole	Percentage, Fraction	The proportion of students in Singapore rose to 40% by 2011.
Illustrate	Verb	To explain or clarify using visuals or examples	Depict, Show	“The line graph illustrates university attendance trends.”
Attendance	Noun	The act of being present at a place	Participation, Presence	“University attendance increased across all countries.”
Trend	Noun	A general direction of change	Pattern, Direction	“An upward trend was observed in all countries.”
Increase	Verb/Noun	To become larger in number, size, or amount	Rise, Growth	“University attendance increased significantly in Singapore.”
Significant	Adjective	Large enough to be important	Notable, Substantial	“Malaysia showed significant growth in attendance rates.”
Pursue	Verb	To strive to achieve something	Aim for, Follow	“Only 2% of Malaysian students pursued tertiary education.”
Growth	Noun	An increase in size, number, or amount	Expansion, Rise	“The Philippines experienced steady growth in attendance.”
Upward	Adjective	Moving to a higher position or level	Ascending, Increasing	“Singapore showed an upward trend in attendance.”
Decline	Verb/Noun	To decrease in amount or quality	Drop, Deterioration	“Thailand experienced a slight decline before increasing sharply.”
Sharp	Adjective	Sudden and noticeable	Dramatic, Steep	“There was a sharp increase in Thailand after 1991.”
Nearly	Adverb	Almost, but not completely	Almost, Approximately	“Thailand nearly doubled its attendance by 2011.”
Remained	Verb	To continue to be in a specific state	Persisted, Stayed	“Malaysia’s attendance remained unchanged after 1991.”
Notable	Adjective	Worthy of attention or significant	Remarkable, Prominent	“Singapore saw a notable rise in attendance by 2011.”
Experience	Verb	To undergo or be affected by something	Encounter, Face	“The Philippines experienced steady growth over 50 years.”
Doubled	Verb	To multiply by two	Increased twofold	“Thailand’s attendance nearly doubled by 2011.”
Stable	Adjective	Unchanging and consistent	Steady, Fixed	“Malaysia’s attendance remained stable after 1991.”
Consistent	Adjective	Happening regularly and without variation	Steady, Uniform	“Singapore showed consistent improvement in attendance.”
Period	Noun	A length or duration of time	Interval, Era	“Fluctuations occurred during the period from 1961 to 2011.”
Enrollment	Noun	The act of registering or entering an institution	Admission, Registration	“Malaysia saw steady enrollment growth in tertiary education.”
Comparison	Noun	The act of evaluating similarities and differences	Contrast, Evaluation	“In comparison, Thailand started at a higher percentage.”
Projected	Adjective	Estimated to occur in the future	Forecasted, Predicted	“The projected data shows stability for Malaysia after 1991.”
Demonstrate	Verb	To clearly show or explain	Exhibit, Display	“The line graph demonstrates how attendance varied by country.”
Contrast	Verb/Noun	To highlight differences between two things	Differ, Distinction	“There is a clear contrast between Malaysia and Thailand’s trends.”

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