Band 9: The chart below shows the number of houses sold in 8 cities in the world for more than 5 Million US dollars in 2009 and 2014. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The bar chart illustrates the number of residential properties sold for more than 5 million US dollars in eight major cities in 2009 and 2014.

Overall, the figures rose in almost all cities over the five-year period, with London and New York consistently recording the highest sales, while Dubai and Singapore remained at the lower end of the scale.

In 2009, London ranked first with approximately 523 high-value property sales, followed by New York (476) and Hong Kong (388). Miami and Los Angeles reported more moderate numbers, at 256 and 178 respectively. Sydney saw 151 such sales, whereas Singapore (107) and especially Dubai (12) recorded relatively small figures.

By 2014, sales had increased significantly in most locations. London experienced a dramatic surge to around 1,638 properties, far exceeding all other cities. New York and Hong Kong also showed strong growth, reaching 796 and 596 respectively. Miami and Sydney rose to 312 and 258, while Los Angeles increased slightly to 214. In contrast, Singapore was the only city to see a decline, falling to 74, although Dubai rose to 46, remaining the lowest overall