Band 7+: 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 the spending made on health programs as a percentage of the gross domestic product of twelve European countries in 2002, 2007, and 2012.

Overall, Switzerland’s GDP demonstrated the highest percentage among the countries, averaging around 11% in the three time periods, whereas Estonia conveyed a similar constant trend, but accounted for the lowest rate (3%) of its GDP.

There were countries whose trends remained constant through the years. These were Belgium, Estonia, Spain, and Switzerland. Switzerland invests the highest proportion over the period, which remained unchanged across the ten years. Likewise, Estonia expended a constant proportion of its capital on healthcare. There is uncertainty as to how much Estonia has spent, though it is evident that it had the lowest percentage.

In summary, while both Switzerland and Estonia exhibited identical trends, the disparity is significant, as the latter only invested approximately 3% while the former spent 11%.