The table shows the number of males (M) and females (F), in thousands, in Towns X and Y from 2018 to 2022.

Year	X Males	X Females	Y Males	Y Females
2018	50	49	53	50
2019	52	49	54	52
2020	55	52	55	54
2021	53	53	58	56
2022	55	52	62	55

What is the ratio of the average number of males in Town X to the average number of males in Town Y for the given period?

A269 : 282

B265 : 281

C265 : 283

D265 : 282 ✓ Correct

Correct answer: (D) 265 : 282

Explanation

The ratio is 265 to 282, so the answer is 265 : 282.

The average male count for a town is the total of the five years divided by 5.

For Town X the male totals are 50, 52, 55, 53 and 55, which add to 265.

For Town Y the male totals are 53, 54, 55, 58 and 62, which add to 282.

Dividing each sum by 5 gives averages of 265 by 5 and 282 by 5.

The common factor of 5 cancels, leaving the ratio 265 to 282.

When comparing two averages over the same number of years, the denominators cancel and only the sums matter.

Want more like this? Create a free account to practise a full test, track your progress, and get spaced-repetition review.