The graph compares the proportion of a drug company’s total sales in four regions – Asia, Europe and Africa, North America, and South America – over the course of four years, between 2002 and 2006.
Overall, while shares in North America, Europe and Africa declined, those in Asia saw steady growth. Despite this fall, Europe and Africa stood out as the region with the largest proportion by a wide margin. By contrast, South America accounted for the smallest percentage throughout the entire timeframe and remained largely unchanged.
Focusing on regions that trended downwards in sales, Europe and Africa initially had 44% of the total, before reaching an all-time high of 48% in 2004. However, this growth was not maintained, as the figure decreased steadily thereafter, ending at 40%. Similarly, North America saw its share drop. Although the initial share was 33%, the figure decreased continuously in the following years to 21% in 2005, and stabilized at this level until the end of the period.
On the other hand, Asia was the only region where the proportion increased. The figure rose consistently from an initial 12% to 28%, surpassing the percentage in North America to become the second-largest proportion. South America maintained its initial 11% share in most years, despite minor drops in 2003 and 2004.