Band 6+: The bar chart shows the percentage of adult male smokers in seven countries along with the world average in 2000 and 2015. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Smoking continues to be a worldwide threat to human health. Data show that the number of smokers fluctuate throughout the years. For this report, I zero in on the smoking habits of the male population across the world and in select countries from different continents. The bar chart shows the average percentage of adult male smokers in seven countries, namely Armenia, Egypt, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Cuba, Mexico, and Australia, along with the world. To demonstrate how these numbers have changed throughout the years, I compare data between 2000 and 2015.

In 2000, nearly 70% of Armenian men smoked, which is the highest rate from the countries selected for this study. Second comes Bangladesh, with a percentage of a little more than 60%. This is followed by Cuba, where a tad more than half of the total male population smoked. Interestingly, the percentage of male smokers in Mexico, Lebanon, and Egypt in 2000 fall between 30 to 40%. Last in place is Australia, where a little less than 30% of men were into the unhealthy habit. Across the world, only around 40% of the male population smoked. It could be said that Armenia and Bangladesh contributed to this number.

The year 2015 saw shifts in the number of male smokers around the world and in the selected countries. For some reason, the number of male Armenian smokers dwindled, falling below 60% and close to the Cuban rate of a little more than 50%. The number of male smokers in the latter country has hardly changed since 2000. Bangladesh also saw a significant drop: data show that, from more than 60%, the percentage of Bangladeshi male smokers in 2015 fell a bit below 40%. Similarly, Mexico and Australia saw a decline, with the former exactly at 20% and the latter just below the same rate. On the other hand, the average number of male smokers in Egypt and Lebanon rose to almost 50% and around 45%, respectively. Across the world, there is a drop of male smokers from 40% to a little above 30%. All in all, it looks like there were less adult male smokers in the year 2015. If this overall trend keeps on going in the future, then we might see a better, less smoky world in a few more decades.