Data Interpretation: Town Population Analysis

This question asks us to compare the combined population of Town X over two specific years (2018 and 2019) with the combined population of Town Y over another two specific years (2021 and 2022). We need to express the Town X population as a percentage of the Town Y population.

Understanding the Data Table

The provided table gives us the number of males (M) and females (F) in thousands for two towns, Town X and Town Y, over five years from 2018 to 2022. To find the total population for a town in a given year, we need to sum the number of males and females for that year.

Step-by-Step Calculation

1. Calculate the total population of Town X in 2018 and 2019.

• Population of Town X in 2018 = Males (2018) + Females (2018)
• Population of Town X in 2018 = $50 \text{ (thousands)} + 49 \text{ (thousands)} = 99 \text{ thousands}$
• Population of Town X in 2019 = Males (2019) + Females (2019)
• Population of Town X in 2019 = $52 \text{ (thousands)} + 49 \text{ (thousands)} = 101 \text{ thousands}$
• Combined population of Town X in 2018 and 2019 = Population (2018) + Population (2019)
• Combined population of Town X (2018 & 2019) = $99 \text{ (thousands)} + 101 \text{ (thousands)} = 200 \text{ thousands}$

2. Calculate the total population of Town Y in 2021 and 2022.

• Population of Town Y in 2021 = Males (2021) + Females (2021)
• Population of Town Y in 2021 = $58 \text{ (thousands)} + 56 \text{ (thousands)} = 114 \text{ thousands}$
• Population of Town Y in 2022 = Males (2022) + Females (2022)
• Population of Town Y in 2022 = $62 \text{ (thousands)} + 55 \text{ (thousands)} = 117 \text{ thousands}$
• Combined population of Town Y in 2021 and 2022 = Population (2021) + Population (2022)
• Combined population of Town Y (2021 & 2022) = $114 \text{ (thousands)} + 117 \text{ (thousands)} = 231 \text{ thousands}$

3. Calculate the combined population of Town X (2018 & 2019) as a percentage of the combined population of Town Y (2021 & 2022).

The formula for percentage is:

$\text{Percentage} = \left( \frac{\text{Value part}}{\text{Value whole}} \right) \times 100$

In this case, the value part is the combined population of Town X (2018 & 2019), and the value whole is the combined population of Town Y (2021 & 2022).

$\text{Percentage} = \left( \frac{\text{Combined population of Town X (2018 & 2019)}}{\text{Combined population of Town Y (2021 & 2022)}} \right) \times 100$

$\text{Percentage} = \left( \frac{200 \text{ thousands}}{231 \text{ thousands}} \right) \times 100$

$\text{Percentage} \approx 0.8658 \times 100$

$\text{Percentage} \approx 86.58$

Rounding to one decimal place, the percentage is approximately 86.6%.

Comparing with Options

The calculated percentage of approximately 86.6% matches option 1.

Conclusion

The combined population of Town X in 2018 and 2019 together is approximately 86.6% of the combined population of Town Y in 2021 and 2022 together.

Revision Table: Population Data Analysis

Additional Information: Solving Percentage Problems

Percentage problems often involve comparing a part to a whole. The key is to correctly identify which number represents the 'part' and which represents the 'whole' in the context of the question.

• The question asks "A is what percentage of B?". Here, A is the 'part' and B is the 'whole'. The formula is $\frac{A}{B} \times 100$.
• The question asks "What is A percentage of B?". Here, you are finding a part of a whole. The formula is $\frac{A}{100} \times B$.
• Data interpretation questions require careful reading of the tables and the questions to extract the correct numbers for the calculations.
• Always check the units (in this case, 'thousands') to ensure consistency in calculations.

This problem is a standard example of calculating one quantity as a percentage of another using data from a table.