IELTS Pie Chart Task 1: How to Compare Two Pie Charts (Band 8 Sample)
Describe IELTS pie charts with confidence: language for proportions, a structure for two-chart comparisons and an original band 8 sample.
Pie charts show proportions of a whole. In IELTS they usually come in pairs: two years, two countries or two groups. Your job is to compare how the shares differ, not to repeat every percentage.
The task
The pie charts below show how a city's household waste was disposed of in 2005 and in 2025. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
| Method | 2005 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Landfill | 64% | 22% |
| Recycling | 14% | 41% |
| Composting | 7% | 19% |
| Incineration | 15% | 18% |
Step 1: the overview
Look for the biggest change and the biggest slice in each chart:
- In 2005, most waste went to landfill.
- By 2025, recycling had become the main method, and landfill had fallen dramatically.
Step 2: the language of proportions
Instead of repeating "percent", vary your expressions:
| Percentage | Alternative |
|---|---|
| 64% | almost two-thirds |
| 41% | two-fifths / just over 40% |
| 22% | just over a fifth |
| 50% | half |
| 25% | a quarter |
| 7% | a small fraction |
Also useful: accounted for, made up, constituted, the largest share, a minority of.
Band 8 sample answer
The pie charts illustrate the ways in which household waste was handled in a particular city in 2005 and two decades later.
Overall, there was a significant shift away from landfill towards recycling and composting. While landfill was the dominant method in 2005, recycling had taken its place by 2025, and incineration changed only slightly.
In 2005, almost two-thirds of household waste (64%) was sent to landfill. Recycling and incineration accounted for similar shares, at 14% and 15% respectively, while composting made up just 7%.
By 2025, the proportion of waste going to landfill had fallen to just over a fifth (22%). In contrast, recycling almost tripled to 41%, making it the most common method, and composting rose to 19%. Incineration, meanwhile, increased only marginally, from 15% to 18%.
(158 words)
Structure for two charts
- Introduction: paraphrase the task.
- Overview: the main change and the main slice in each chart.
- Body 1: the first chart, or the categories that increased.
- Body 2: the second chart, or the categories that decreased, with comparisons back to the first.
Both approaches (chart by chart, or category by category) can score highly. Choose the one that makes comparisons easiest.
Band 6 vs band 8: the same idea
- Band 6: Landfill was 64% in 2005 and it was 22% in 2025. Recycling was 14% and it went up to 41%.
- Band 8: The proportion of waste sent to landfill fell from almost two-thirds to just over a fifth, while recycling almost tripled to become the most common method.
The band 8 version compares rather than lists, varies the language of proportion, and puts the most important change first.
Practice task
The pie charts show the main sources of energy used in a country in 2000 and 2020. (Coal: 48% → 25%; Gas: 30% → 32%; Nuclear: 12% → 13%; Renewables: 10% → 30%.)
Write an overview in two sentences, then check it: does it mention the largest source in each year and the biggest change, without any numbers?
Common errors
- "The percentage of landfill": write the percentage of waste sent to landfill. The noun must be what is measured.
- Confusing "increase" with "be higher": two charts from different countries show differences, not increases.
- Ignoring small slices: mention them briefly so the description is complete.
FAQ
Do I need to use every percentage?
No. Use the key figures and group the small categories together if they are similar.
Which tense should I use?
Past simple for past years. For future projections, use is expected to or is projected to.
See also the bar chart guide and practise with our writing timer.