Let's analyze the data in the chart showing declines in industrial production during the Great Depression for various countries:
- United States: 46.8%
- Great Britain: 16.2%
- Germany: 41.8%
- France: 31.3%
- Sweden: 10.3%
To interpret these percentages, we need to understand what they indicate:
1. United States (46.8%): The industry in the United States faced a significant decline, with nearly half of its industrial production reduced during the period.
2. Great Britain (16.2%): Great Britain saw a moderate decline in industrial production, less severe than the United States.
3. Germany (41.8%): Similar to the United States, Germany experienced a significant decline in industrial production.
4. France (31.3%): France had a substantial reduction in industrial production, though not as severe as the United States or Germany.
5. Sweden (10.3%): Among all the countries listed, Sweden had the smallest decline in industrial production.
Since Sweden's industrial production decline is only 10.3%, which is significantly lower than the declines experienced by the other countries listed, this suggests that:
- Sweden's economy was less impacted by declines in industrial production during the Great Depression.
- The relatively low decline indicates that Sweden likely did not depend heavily on industrial production compared to the other nations listed.
Considering all the details, the most likely conclusion about Sweden is:
Sweden did not depend on industrial production.
This conclusion is drawn from observing that Sweden had the lowest rate of decline among the countries listed, implying that its economy was less reliant on industrial production and thus less affected by its decline.
