What percentage of the population aged 19-49 had AIDS?

• A. 5%
• B. 26.5%
• C. 15%
• D. 40%

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is reading a data figure that shows how widespread AIDS is among people in a specific age group—the 19–49 age band. This value reflects prevalence: the proportion of individuals in that age range who are living with AIDS at the time of the data, rather than new cases occurring per year.

In the chart, the share for the 19–49 group is 26.5%. That means just over a quarter of people in that age range are living with AIDS, which signals a substantial burden on health services and the economy since this is a large,, productive age group. A prevalence around this level is plausible in regions with significant HIV infection rates and long survival with treatment, where people live longer with the disease.

The other figures would imply noticeably different situations: much lower percentages would suggest a much smaller epidemic or shorter survival, while a figure as high as 40% would indicate an even more extreme burden, which is less typical for an entire age group in most real-world data. So 26.5% best matches the shown data and what it tells us about the disease's impact on adults in that age range.