Band 9: You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The chart below shows changes in average house prices in five different cities between 1990 and 2002 compared with the average house prices in 1989. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

The bar chart illustrates the percentage change in average house prices in five cities between 1990 and 2002, compared with the average prices in 1989. The data is divided into two periods: 1990-1995 and 1996-2002.

Overall, house prices showed different patterns across the cities and time periods. While some cities experienced price increases, others recorded declines, and stronger growth was generally seen in the later period.

Between 1990 and 1995, average house prices fell in New York, Tokyo and London, with decreases of around 5%, 7% and 8% respectively. In contrast, Madrid and Frankfurt saw slight increases during this period, both rising by approximately 1-2% compared with 1989.

In the period from 1996 to 2002, prices increased in most cities. New York and Madrid recorded moderate growth of about 5% and 4% respectively, while Frankfurt experienced a smaller rise of around 1%. London showed the most significant increase, with house prices rising sharply to approximately 12%. Tokyo, however, continued to experience a decline, with prices falling by about 5% in the later period.