TASK 1:
Question: The charts give information about the percentage of men and women who had driving licences in one European country in various years.
ANSWER:
The bar charts compare the proportions of males and females holding a driving licence in a European nation in different years overall, as well as among young adults aged 17 to 20 in two selected years.
Overall, the percentage of both genders with a licence rose steadily over time, with men consistently outnumbering women across all years. However, the gender gap gradually narrowed, particularly among the younger age group, where a noticeable decline was observed among both sexes in 2006.
In 1976 and 1981, the proportion of men with a licence was virtually unchanged at around 70%. From 1986 onwards, it edged up and ultimately reached about 80% in 2006. By contrast, women rose much faster overall, climbing from 30% in 1976 to approximately 44% by 1991 and then 60% in 2006, progressively narrowing the gender gap.
Among 17- to 20-year-olds, around half of young men and 30% of young women held a licence in 1996. However, these figures dropped to approximately 43% and 20% respectively a decade later.
