Question

Instructions: The following bar graph gives the production, exports and per-capita consumption of rice in country A, for the five years from 2006 to 2010 (Production and Exports in million kg; Per capita in kg). Consumption = Production - Exports. Per Capita Consumption = Consumption ÷ Population.

Year-wise data read from the chart: Production (2006-2010): 192.5, 208, 238, 225, 207 million kg. Exports (2006-2010): 120, 120, 130, 120, 80 million kg. This gives Consumption (2006-2010): 72.5, 88, 108, 105, 127 million kg.

In which year was the percentage increase in the consumption of rice over the previous year the highest?

• A. 2007
• B. 2008
• C. 2009
• D. 2010

Hint:

A smaller raw increase can still be the largest percentage increase if it started from a smaller base; check 2008 against 2010 carefully.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Since all four year-on-year changes need to be compared, it is enough to rank the absolute jumps first and then verify the largest one as a percentage.

1. Consumption jumps: 2006 to 2007 is $+15.5$; 2007 to 2008 is $+20$; 2008 to 2009 is $-3$ (a fall); 2009 to 2010 is $+22$.
2. The 2009-to-2010 jump (+22) is numerically the largest, but it is measured against a bigger base (105), while the 2007-to-2008 jump (+20) is measured against a smaller base (88), so the percentages need to be checked directly rather than assumed from the raw jump size.
3. $\frac{20}{88} \approx 22.7\%$ versus $\frac{22}{105} \approx 21.0\%$: the smaller raw jump (2008) actually gives the bigger percentage increase because its base year value was smaller.

So the correct answer is option B, 2008.