Medical care in three European countries between 1980 and 2000

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Table

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IELTS Writing Task 1 Question

The graph below shows the information about medical care in three European countries between 1980 and 2000.

Common questions for the medical care graph

1. Graph Type: Line graph and table.

2. Title: Medical Care in Austria, France, and Sweden (1980–2000)

3. What are the units of measurement?: Number of doctors per 1,000 people, number of hospital beds per 1,000 people, average stay in hospital (in days).

4. Who: The data compares the healthcare facilities in Austria, France, and Sweden.

5. When: The data spans from 1980 to 2000.

6. Where: The three countries under comparison are Austria, France, and Sweden.

7. Topic: The graph shows changes in medical care aspects like the number of doctors, hospital beds, and average stay in hospitals in these three European countries.

Comparison Showing and Trends

Comparison 1 : Doctors per 1,000 people

Sweden had the highest number of doctors in 1980, with 3.6 doctors per 1,000 people, although this number dropped to 3.0 in 1990 before increasing again to 3.8 by 2000. Austria’s doctors increased marginally from 0.8 to 1.0 per 1,000 people. In contrast, France experienced a decline, with doctors per 1,000 people decreasing from 2.4 in 1980 to 1.3 by 2000.

Comparison 2 : Hospital Beds per 1,000 people

Sweden led in hospital beds with 6.4 beds per 1,000 people in 1980 and 1990, and 6.9 by 2000. Austria saw an increase from 1.4 to 3.7 beds per 1,000 people. France showed the most significant growth, from 0.2 beds in 1980 to 1.6 by 2000.

Comparison 3 : Average Stay in Hospital

Sweden had the highest average hospital stay, maintaining around 20 days across the entire period. Austria’s stay decreased significantly from 18 days in 1980 to 8 days by 2000. France’s average stay in hospital decreased gradually, from 9 days in 1980 to 5 days in 2000.

Sample Answer

The line graph and table compare medical care statistics in Austria, France, and Sweden from 1980 to 2000, focusing on the number of doctors per 1,000 people, the number of hospital beds per 1,000 people, and the average hospital stay.

Overall, Sweden had the best healthcare facilities, while France lagged behind in all areas.

Sweden had the highest number of doctors in 1980, with 3.6 per 1,000 people, although this figure dropped in 1990 before rising again by 2000. Austria’s doctor availability grew slightly from 0.8 to 1.0 per 1,000 people, while France experienced a decrease from 2.4 to 1.3 per 1,000 people over the same period.

In terms of hospital beds, Sweden had the highest number with 6.4 beds per 1,000 people in 1980, and it increased slightly by 2000. Austria’s bed availability increased significantly from 1.4 to 3.7 per 1,000 people. France experienced the most dramatic increase, from just 0.2 to 1.6 beds.

Regarding hospital stays, Sweden had the longest average stay at around 20 days throughout the period. Austria and France saw significant reductions, with Austria’s average stay decreasing from 18 days to 8 days, and France’s from 9 days to 5 days.

Top 25 Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meaning	Synonyms	Examples	Type
Marginally	To a small extent or degree	Slightly, modestly	“The number of doctors grew marginally in Austria from 0.8 to 1.0 per 1000 people.”	Adverb
Marked	Noticeable or significant	Significant, considerable	“Austria saw a marked decrease in the days of hospitalization from 18 to 8.”	Adjective
Escalation	A gradual increase or rise	Increase, growth	“France saw the most marked escalation in the number of hospital beds from 0.2 to 1.6.”	Noun
Fluctuations	Variations or changes in a pattern	Oscillations, changes	“The number of doctors in Sweden fluctuated between 3.0 and 3.8 per 1000 people.”	Noun
Dramatic	Sudden and extreme	Striking, significant	“France showed a dramatic increase in the number of hospital beds per 1000 people.”	Adjective
Comparison	The act of examining similarities and differences	Contrast, juxtaposition	“The comparison of doctors per 1,000 people showed significant differences between countries.”	Noun
Shift	A change or movement from one position to another	Change, transition	“There was a shift in hospital bed availability between 1980 and 2000.”	Noun
Trend	A general direction or tendency	Movement, direction	“The trend shows a steady increase in hospital beds in Austria.”	Noun
Surge	A sudden or large increase	Spike, upswing	“There was a surge in the number of hospital beds in France.”	Noun/Verb
Steady	Consistent or unchanging over time	Stable, unvarying	“Sweden’s healthcare system remained steady throughout the period.”	Adjective
Exponential	Increasing at a very rapid rate	Rapid, accelerating	“Austria’s number of hospital beds increased exponentially.”	Adjective
Proportion	A part or share of a whole	Fraction, segment	“The proportion of doctors per 1,000 people in Sweden remained high.”	Noun
Consistently	In a consistent manner, without significant change	Regularly, steadily	“Sweden’s hospital stays remained consistently high.”	Adverb
Decline	A decrease in quantity or quality	Decrease, drop	“France saw a decline in the number of doctors per 1,000 people.”	Verb
Exceed	To surpass or go beyond	Outstrip, surpass	“Sweden’s number of doctors exceeded that of Austria and France.”	Verb
Reversal	A complete change in direction or position	Change, turnaround	“Austria experienced a reversal in the number of hospital beds.”	Noun
Increase	To become larger or greater in number	Rise, grow	“The number of hospital beds increased significantly in France.”	Verb
Subsequent	Occurring after something else	Following, ensuing	“In the subsequent years, Austria improved its healthcare facilities.”	Adjective
Tapered	To gradually decrease or become smaller	Diminish, lessen	“The number of hospital stays tapered off in both Austria and France.”	Verb
Enhanced	Improved or made better	Improved, upgraded	“Sweden enhanced its healthcare system by increasing doctor availability.”	Adjective
Noteworthy	Worth paying attention to; significant	Remarkable, significant	“The noteworthy increase in hospital beds in France was remarkable.”	Adjective
Proliferation	Rapid increase or spread	Expansion, growth	“There was a proliferation of hospital beds in Austria during the 1980s.”	Noun
Sustained	Maintained at a constant or continuous level	Continuous, steady	“Sweden’s number of doctors was sustained at a high level throughout the period.”	Adjective
Adaptation	Adjustment or modification to meet new conditions	Adjustment, change	“The adaptation of the healthcare system in Austria was crucial to meeting demand.”	Noun
Variation	A change or difference in condition or amount	Difference, fluctuation	“The variation in hospital stay durations reflected healthcare changes.”	Noun

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