Band 5+: 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 health expenditure totals as porportions of GDP for several European countries for 2002, 2007 and 2012.

Overall, Switzerland remained at the top throughout the given period. Belgium comes in second place and stayed constant. Estonia, however, held the lowest percentage of Gross Domestic Product while the rest varied in 2002, 2007 and 2012.

Switzerland was considered the country with highest percentage of GDP with arroud 11% throughout the 3 years. Next comes Belguim with 10% of GDP whilst Denmark and Norway, which both started with approximately 9% in 2002 and 2007, witnessed an increase in 2012 to reach 10%. Same for Lithuania, Poland and Slovenia with 6% , 5% and 9% respectively in 2012.

On the other hand, many countries witnessed a decrease such as Netherlands, which began with 10% in 2002 and ended up with only 8% in 2010. Similary for luxembourg which was at 8% initially, remained stable in 2007 and droped in 2012 to reach about 7%. In contrast, France was at 10% in 2002. In 2007, it grew up to 11% but witnessed a drop of arroud 3% in 2012.