Band 7+: Task 1: The table below shows the change in the percentages of people joining in seven different sports in an European country from 1999 to 2009. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The table illustrates how many people engaged in seven different sports in an European country between 1999 and 2009.

Overall, there were increases in the percentage of people participating in almost all sports, with the exception of football and basketball. In addition, although football experienced a decline trend, it was the most common sports throughout the period.

Looking first at the most sports played, the proportion of people joining in football was the highest, at 57%, compared to 32% in swimming and 25% in tennis in the first year. In 2009, the figure for football decreased slightly to 48%, while that of tennis and swimming increased to 33% and 34% respectively.

In terms of the remaining sports, the percentage of people playing basketball started at 26%, followed by 17% in volleyball, 10%in yoga, and 8% in golf in 1999. Basketball accounted for 24% of the percentage of people joining this sport after a minimal fall, by contrast, the figure for yoga, volleyball, and golf rose to 13%, 18%, and 17%, with a considerable climb in the proportion of people playing golf.