Band 6+: WRITING TASK 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The bar chart below shows current health expenditure totals as percentages of GDP* for various European countries for the years 2002, 2007 and 2012. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words. * GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is the total value of goods that are made and services that are provided in a country.

The bar chart illustrates current health expenditure of GDP for 12 Europian countries in 2002, 2007 and 2012. The data will be shown in percentages.

Overall, Estonia was the country with the smallest percentage of GDP, while Switzerland accounted for the biggest figure. Another notable future of this chart is that some countries reported the stable percentages of GDP in all three years, while some showed dramatic fluctuations.

The percentage of Health Expenditure in Estonia made up the smallest number in all three years, just by 3%. By contrast, Switzerland exceeded all remaning countries by reaching 11% and staying the same in all years. This was followed by Belgium with 10%. Other countries ranged from 5 to 9%.

Some countries including Switzerland, Spain, Estonia and Belgium reported similar number in each year, showing stability. However, some countries showed remarkable differences each year. Netherlands’ proportion for GDP, for instances, was 10% in 2002, which gradually decreased to 8% by 2012. France, on the other hand, fluctuated dramatically. The fugures were 10% in 2002, reached 11 percent in 2007, and declined to just 9% by 2012.