Band 9: The table below describes the proportion of smokers in males and females (between the age of 15 and 20) in Britain. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

The table compares the percentages of male and female smokers aged 15 to 20 in Britain over three decades.

Overall, the table indicates that the proportion of smokers among both genders increased significantly during the first 15 years. In contrast, a downward trend was observed in the last 15 years.

In 1970, starting at 10%, the percentage of male smokers was double that of female smokers. Throughout the first decade, males consistently exhibited a higher smoking rate compared to females. However, the gap soon narrowed in the second decade. By 1990, the figure for female smokers experienced a dramatic rise of 32%, surpassing that of male smokers by 1%, whose percentage increased by 26% during the same period.

Examining the table in greater detail, the proportion of male smokers experienced a modest decline of 9% over the subsequent one-and-a-half decades. In contrast, the figure for female smokers peaked at 37% in 1985 before gradually decreasing to 27% by the end of the period.