The line graph illustrates the fluctuations in the price of bananas per kilogram across four nations—Japan, France, Germany, and the USA—over an eleven-year period from 1994 to 2004.
Overall, Japan consistently recorded the highest banana prices throughout the period, while the USA maintained the lowest and most stable figures. While most countries experienced moderate price volatility, Japan saw the most dramatic shifts, particularly a sharp peak in 1995.
Japan began the period at 1.9 US dollars, surging to a peak of 2.9 US dollars in 1995 before declining to 1.6 US dollars by 2001. Subsequently, prices recovered, ending the period at 2.5 US dollars. In contrast, the USA started at 0.9 US dollars, rose to 1.2 US dollars in 1995, and remained remarkably stable at approximately 1.1 US dollars for the remainder of the decade.
France and Germany followed similar trends, generally fluctuating between 1.2 and 1.75 US dollars. France experienced a notable dip to 1.0 US dollars in 2003, though it recovered to 1.6 US dollars by 2004. Germany’s prices were relatively consistent, peaking at 1.5 US dollars in 1996 and 1999, before stabilising at 1.2 US dollars from 2002 onwards.