The ratio of exports to consumption in the given period was the highest in the…

Concept — what this ratio compares

The ratio asked for sets one year's exports against that same year's total consumption. The table supplies production and exports directly, but total consumption is not a column of its own: it is defined below the table as consumption (in million kg) = production − exports. The last column, per capita consumption, is the quantity eaten per person, so it belongs to a population calculation and never enters this ratio. So for any year: required ratio = Exports ÷ (Production − Exports).

Application — the method, step by step

1. Read that year's production and exports from the table.

2. Subtract them to get that year's total consumption: consumption = production − exports.

3. Divide that year's exports by that consumption to get its ratio.

4. Compare the ratios of the years offered and take the largest.

Working for each year offered

Cross-check

2012 and 2013 carry identical exports of 114 million kg, so they can be compared without dividing: 2012's consumption of 72.5 million kg is the smaller denominator, so 2012 yields the larger ratio. Against the remaining years, 2012 pairs a near-largest export figure with by far the smallest consumption — the smallest denominator under a large numerator — which is why its ratio leads. (The 2016 row is not among the choices; its ratio, 88 ÷ 127 ≈ 0.69, is the lowest of all five years.)

Two slips change the answer: dividing exports by the per capita consumption figure instead of by total consumption, and dividing exports by production instead of by consumption. Both replace the denominator defined below the table and reorder the years.

Answer: the ratio of exports to consumption is highest in 2012.