The line graph demonstrates changes in the per capita consumption of apples, oranges, bananas and pears in the United States between 1950 and 2010.
It is clear that among the four types of fruits, the consumption of apples was the highest for the majority of the 60-year period. However, a considerable growth was seen in the consumption of bananas, with figures eventually surpassing those of apples.
Between 1950 and 1980, US apple consumption escalated from around 60 to a peak of 90 pounds per person per year. During the same period, consumption of bananas also rose slightly to nearly 30 pounds per person, while the figures for oranges fluctuated between 40 and 50 pounds per person.1 Pear was by far the least popular fruit, with figures falling below 10 pounds per capita each year.
In 2010, the weight of apples consumed by an average American inched downwards to around 80 pounds, but the consumption of bananas tripled from 30 pounds per person in 1980 to approximately 90 pounds per capita. By contrast, there were no significant changes in the trends of orange and pear consumption over the period as a whole.