Korean Graphs & Statistics: 에 따르면, 에 비해, -(으)ㄹ수록
Korean describes data with 에 따르면 to cite a source (조사 결과에 따르면 절반이 넘습니다 — according to the survey, it's over half), 에 비해 to compare (작년에 비해 두 배 늘었습니다 — it doubled compared to last year), and -(으)ㄹ수록 for trends (소득이 높을수록 소비도 늘어납니다 — the higher the income, the more spending rises).
Published:
Written by Alvin Lim Certified Korean Language Teacher (Level 2)
Reading and describing data in Korean rests on three patterns. 에 따르면 cites where the numbers come from (조사 결과에 따르면 절반이 넘습니다 — according to the survey, it’s over half). 에 비해 measures one thing against another (작년에 비해 두 배 늘었습니다 — it doubled compared to last year). And -(으)ㄹ수록 captures a trend where two things move together (소득이 높을수록 소비도 늘어납니다 — the higher the income, the more spending rises). Add a handful of increase/decrease verbs and you can narrate any chart — which is exactly what TOPIK II Writing #53 asks you to do.
Chapter 5 is “Society in Numbers” — the register of surveys, percentages, and graphs that fills Korean news and exams. This is a reinforcement lesson, so we go slow and pile on examples. You’ve already met the news reporting style and how to express regret about results; here those formal habits turn into the language of statistics. Start with the words every data sentence is built from.
Twelve words for statistics and graphs
These anchor any “what do the numbers say?” description.
According to the data — 에 따르면
To name where your numbers come from, attach 에 따르면 to a noun (a source). The clause that follows reports what the data says.
조사 결과에 따르면 절반이 넘습니다 = according to the survey, it’s over half 통계에 따르면 인구가 줄고 있습니다 = according to the statistics, the population is falling 자료에 따르면 20대가 가장 많았습니다 = according to the data, people in their 20s were the most 그래프에 따르면 매출이 꾸준히 늘었습니다 = according to the graph, sales rose steadily 전문가에 따르면 이 추세가 계속될 것입니다 = according to experts, this trend will continue
Don’t confuse it with 에 따라(서) (“depending on”), which says a result varies with some factor: 계절에 따라 가격이 달라져요 (prices change with the season), 나이에 따라 응답이 달랐습니다 (responses differed by age). Same 따르다 root, but 따르면 = “reportedly,” 따라 = “it varies by.” The verb after it tells you which.
Compared to — 에 비해
To measure one figure against a baseline, attach 에 비해(서) to a noun. It sets up a comparison, usually with 늘다/줄다 or a multiplier.
작년에 비해 두 배 늘었습니다 = it doubled compared to last year 지난달에 비해 30% 감소했습니다 = it fell 30% compared to last month 남성에 비해 여성의 비율이 높았습니다 = the proportion of women was higher than men 예상에 비해 결과가 좋았습니다 = the result was better than expected 10년 전에 비해 크게 달라졌습니다 = it changed greatly compared to ten years ago
Reach for the increase/decrease verbs in pairs: 늘다 = 증가하다 (rise), 줄다 = 감소하다 (fall). The native word (늘다/줄다) is everyday; the Sino-Korean word (증가하다/감소하다) is the one reports prefer — but they mean the same thing, so use whichever fits the tone.
The more X, the more Y — -(으)ㄹ수록
To say two things move together — as one rises, so does the other — attach -(으)ㄹ수록 to a verb or adjective stem.
소득이 높을수록 소비도 늘어납니다 = the higher the income, the more spending rises 나이가 많을수록 응답률이 낮았습니다 = the older people were, the lower the response rate 도시가 클수록 집값이 비쌌습니다 = the bigger the city, the more expensive housing was 자료가 많을수록 분석이 정확해집니다 = the more data, the more accurate the analysis 갈수록 경쟁이 치열해지고 있습니다 = competition is getting fiercer and fiercer
Attach -을수록 after a consonant, -ㄹ수록 after a vowel or ㄹ: 높다 → 높을수록, 크다 → 클수록, 살다 → 살수록. The frozen form 갈수록 means “more and more over time,” and 점점 (“gradually”) often rides alongside: 점점 늘어나는 추세입니다 = it’s an increasing trend.
How do you describe a graph for TOPIK II Writing #53?
The exam’s #53 task hands you a graph and asks you to describe it in 200–300 characters. Memorize one reusable frame — source first, then the proportion, then the comparison — and just swap in the nouns and numbers:
자료에 따르면 20대의 절반 이상이 온라인 쇼핑을 이용하는 것으로 나타났다. 온라인 쇼핑이 전체의 60%를 차지했으며, 이는 작년에 비해 두 배 늘어난 수치이다. 반면, 오프라인 매장 이용은 점점 줄어드는 것으로 조사되었다. 소득이 높을수록 온라인 이용 비율이 더 높게 나타났다.
According to the data, more than half of people in their 20s were found to use online shopping. Online shopping accounted for 60% of the total, a figure that doubled compared to last year. In contrast, the use of offline stores was surveyed to be gradually declining. The higher the income, the higher the rate of online use appeared.
Trace the frame: 자료에 따르면 names the source, 절반 이상이 / 60%를 차지했으며 states the proportion, 작년에 비해 두 배 늘어난 compares to a baseline, and 소득이 높을수록 reads the trend. Four sentences reuse every pattern in this lesson — and the skeleton works for any chart they hand you.
Discussing a survey result
Two classmates compare notes on a chart from the news — all three patterns, live:
Watch them stack: 조사 결과에 따르면 cites the source, 작년에 비해 / 차지했대 do the comparison and proportion, and 나이가 많을수록 / 갈수록 read the trend. That’s a complete data conversation — and a preview of exactly what the exam rewards.
FAQ
What’s the difference between 에 따르면 and 에 따라(서)? They share the verb 따르다 (to follow) but do different jobs. 에 따르면 = ‘according to (a source)’ and reports information: 조사 결과에 따르면 절반이 넘습니다 = according to the survey, it’s over half; 뉴스에 따르면 내일 비가 온대요 = the news says it’ll rain. 에 따라(서) = ‘depending on / in accordance with’ and says a result VARIES with some factor: 계절에 따라 가격이 달라져요 = prices change with the season; 규칙에 따라 처리하세요 = handle it according to the rules. Quick test: if you can add ‘reportedly,’ use 따르면; if you mean ‘it varies by X,’ use 따라.
How do I attach -(으)ㄹ수록, and what does 갈수록 mean? Attach -(으)ㄹ수록 to a verb or adjective stem — -을수록 after a consonant, -ㄹ수록 after a vowel or ㄹ: 높다 → 높을수록, 많다 → 많을수록, 크다 → 클수록, 살다 → 살수록. Both clauses rise together: 보면 볼수록 좋아요 = the more I look, the more I like it. A very common frozen form is 갈수록 (literally ‘as it goes’) = ‘increasingly, more and more over time’: 갈수록 더워져요 = it’s getting hotter and hotter; 날씨가 갈수록 나빠집니다 = the weather keeps getting worse. You’ll often see 점점 (‘gradually’) alongside it for emphasis.
What vocabulary do I need to describe a graph for TOPIK Writing #53? Build the answer from four blocks. (1) Source frame: 자료/조사 결과에 따르면 = according to the data/survey. (2) Change verbs: 늘다/증가하다 (increase), 줄다/감소하다 (decrease), 변하다/달라지다 (change). (3) Proportion words: 차지하다 (account for), 절반 (half), ~배 (X times), 가장 많다/적다 (the most/fewest). (4) Comparison: 작년에 비해, ~에 비해 (compared to). A reusable frame: ‘자료에 따르면 A가 전체의 절반을 차지했다. B는 작년에 비해 두 배 늘었다.’ Memorize that skeleton and just swap the nouns and numbers on test day.
Next: talking about the environment — -는 한, (이)든 -든지. Previous: expressing regret — -(으)ㄹ걸, -았어야 했는데. Full path: curriculum hub.