Band 6+: Writing Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table below shows information about the population of New Zealand from 2011 to 2012 by age group. Summarize the formation by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

The table gives specific information about the change in the New Zealand population between 2011 and 2012 in four age groups and the total.

Overall, there was a dramatic increase at all ages, especially among people aged 40–64 and 65+, while the others—under 15 years old and 15–39—were slightly decreased.

In 2011, the population of New Zealand under 15 stood at 898,160; then it significantly dropped approximately –0.2% in 2012. Similarly, the group of people aged 15–39 dramatically decreased from 1,577,256 in 2011 to 1,574,102 (–0.2%) in the next year.

The figure for adults aged 40–64 had sharply risen by about +0.6% between the two years (1,331,907 to 1,339,898); it was the highest figure in the table. In addition, the percentage of people aged 65+ had dramatically increased from 573,946 in 2011 to 596,903 in 2012 (+0.4%). Therefore, the proportion of New Zealanders of all ages sharply rose by approximately +0.6%.