Analyzing Town Y Female Population Data

The question asks us to find the year in which the percentage increase in the number of females in Town Y, compared to the previous year, was the maximum. To do this, we need to examine the female population data for Town Y from the provided table and calculate the year-on-year percentage change.

Extracting Data for Town Y Females

Let's list the number of females (in thousands) in Town Y for each year from the table:

• 2018: 50
• 2019: 52
• 2020: 54
• 2021: 56
• 2022: 55

Calculating Percentage Increase in Town Y Females

The formula for percentage increase is:

\(\text{Percentage Increase} = \left( \frac{\text{Number in Current Year} - \text{Number in Previous Year}}{\text{Number in Previous Year}} \right) \times 100\)

We will calculate the percentage increase for each year from 2019 to 2022, relative to the preceding year.

Percentage Increase in 2019 (relative to 2018)

Number of females in 2019 = 52 thousand

Number of females in 2018 = 50 thousand

Increase = \(52 - 50 = 2\) thousand

Percentage Increase in 2019 = \(\left( \frac{2}{50} \right) \times 100 = 0.04 \times 100 = 4\%\)

Percentage Increase in 2020 (relative to 2019)

Number of females in 2020 = 54 thousand

Number of females in 2019 = 52 thousand

Increase = \(54 - 52 = 2\) thousand

Percentage Increase in 2020 = \(\left( \frac{2}{52} \right) \times 100 = \left( \frac{1}{26} \right) \times 100 \approx 3.85\%\)

Percentage Increase in 2021 (relative to 2020)

Number of females in 2021 = 56 thousand

Number of females in 2020 = 54 thousand

Increase = \(56 - 54 = 2\) thousand

Percentage Increase in 2021 = \(\left( \frac{2}{54} \right) \times 100 = \left( \frac{1}{27} \right) \times 100 \approx 3.70\%\)

Percentage Change in 2022 (relative to 2021)

Number of females in 2022 = 55 thousand

Number of females in 2021 = 56 thousand

Change = \(55 - 56 = -1\) thousand

Percentage Change in 2022 = \(\left( \frac{-1}{56} \right) \times 100 \approx -1.79\%\)

This represents a decrease, not an increase.

Comparing Percentage Increases for Town Y Females

Let's compare the calculated percentage increases for the years where there was an increase:

• Percentage Increase in 2019: 4%
• Percentage Increase in 2020: Approximately 3.85%
• Percentage Increase in 2021: Approximately 3.70%

The maximum percentage increase in the number of females for Town Y relative to the previous year is 4%, which occurred in the year 2019.

Conclusion on Town Y Female Population Growth

Based on the calculations, the percentage increase in the number of females for Town Y with reference to the previous year is maximum in the year 2019.

Revision Table: Town Y Female Population Percentage Change

Additional Information: Understanding Percentage Change

Percentage change is a useful tool for comparing how much a value has increased or decreased over time or between two points. It is expressed as a percentage of the initial value.

• A positive percentage change indicates an increase.
• A negative percentage change indicates a decrease.
• The base for the calculation is always the previous value (or the starting value).

Percentage change helps in understanding the relative growth or decline, which might be more informative than just looking at the absolute difference. For instance, an increase of 2 thousand might be significant if the initial number was small, but less so if the initial number was very large. Percentage change captures this relationship.

When calculating percentage change, it's important to correctly identify the 'previous' or 'original' value that serves as the denominator in the formula.