The chart below shows the percentage of difference in income between men and women from 1978 to 2008 Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant

The graph indicates the gap in income between men and women in five countries within a 20-year period. Overall, all countries show the same reduction trends during the period, only Australia experienced an increase after 1998.

There was a difference of 50% in earnings between the two genders in Japan, while the U.S saw a number of 40% in 1978. Both countries then experienced a gradual reduce in 20 years and stopped at about 42% in Japan and about 37% in the U.S.

The UK and France observed the same decrease. The differences in the amount of money that men and women made in these two countries are lower than those of Japan and the U.S. From the figures of about 29% and 19% respectively, the UK and France saw a slow fall to 35% and 17% in 2008.

The lowest figure of Australia slowly fell from 1978 to 1998 then it increase sharply to about 23% to overtake the figure of France in the end of the period.