The line graph illustrates changes in the proportion of total energy consumption in six different countries over a 40-year period starting in 1971.
In general, it is noticeable that only upward trends were observed in all the given nations throughout the period, with the exception of Finland. Finland recorded the highest percentage of energy use during the period shown, while the opposite was true for the United Kingdom.
In the initial period, Finland was dominant, with nearly 25% of energy being used in this country. In the following decades, there was a significant fall to around 17% in 1986, before a came back to the initial figure in the final year. By contrast, the United Kingdom accounted for approximately 1%, the lowest proportion of energy consumption in the first year, which was followed by a steady increase to about 7% in the last year. In addition, this figure maintained the last position among the six countries.
At the beginning of the period, Denmark took the second largest energy use, making up 15%, after which it gradually rose to around 18% in the year 2011. Similarly, France stood at about 8% in the year 1971, and this figure witnessed a steady growth to around 15% by the end of the period. Germany and the United States showed almost the same figure of energy use, standing at 5% and 2%, respectively in 1971. The latter demonstrated a sharp increase to 15% over the period, while the former experienced a dramatic rise reaching a second most energy consumed nation, at approximately 19% in 2011.