The graph below shows the population of three cities in 1990, the population forecast of 2000 and the actual population of 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
| Cities | Actual Population in 1990 | Predicted Population for 2000 (made in 1990) | Actual Population in 2000 |
| Sao Paulo | 15 million | 24 million | 18 million |
| Jakarta | 9.5 million | 14 million | 17.5 million |
| Shanghai | 13.5 million | 17 million | 12.5 million |
The table represents the changes in the urban population in three distinct cities between 1990 and 2000 as well as the estimated number of citizens for 2000.
Overall, the population of Sao Paulo and Jakarta increased during the given period, whereas there was a decrease in the population of Shanghai actually. However, huge disparities can be observed while comparing the actual population with predictions.
In terms of population, in 1990, Sao Paulo recorded the highest at 15 million, followed by Shanghai and Jakarta, with 13.5 million and 9.5 million respectively. Although Sao Paulo’s population was predicted to reach 24 million by 2000, it only rose to 18 million. Similarly, in Jakarta, a significant increase of 8 million people was noticed in the next decade compared to the initial population of 9.5 million which was relatively greater than the projection by around 3 million.
On the contrary, in spite of the prediction of substantial population growth of 17 million from 13.5 million in Shanghai, it was reduced by 1 million