To analyze the given data and draw a conclusion about Sweden, let's carefully examine the decline rates in industrial production during the Great Depression for the listed countries:
[tex]\[
\begin{tabular}{|l|c|}
\hline
\multicolumn{1}{|c|}{Country} & Rate of Decline \\
\hline
United States & 46.8\% \\
\hline
Great Britain & 16.2\% \\
\hline
Germany & 41.8\% \\
\hline
France & 31.3\% \\
\hline
Sweden & 10.3\% \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\][/tex]
We need to determine which conclusion is most supported by these figures about Sweden.
1. Sweden did not depend on industrial production
- Sweden has the lowest rate of decline in industrial production at 10.3\%. This relatively small rate of decline implies that Sweden's economy may not have relied heavily on industrial production. If it did, the decline would likely have been more significant, akin to the other countries listed.
2. Sweden's economy was less stable than most
- Stability in this context would more likely be reflected by consistent performance or less drastic changes. However, the low decline rate does not indicate instability; rather, it suggests relative stability in weathering the Great Depression.
3. Sweden and Great Britain had similar economies
- While both Sweden and Great Britain had lower decline rates compared to the United States, Germany, and France, their decline rates are not similar when compared directly: 10.3\% vs. 16.2\%. The difference suggests that their economic situations were not similar enough to draw such a conclusion.
4. Sweden had a lower unemployment rate than the United States
- There is no information provided about unemployment rates. The decline in industrial production does not directly translate to the unemployment rate without additional context. Hence, we cannot conclude this based on the provided data alone.
Given the assessment, the most likely conclusion based on the figures is:
Sweden did not depend on industrial production.
This conclusion aligns best with the observed low rate of decline in industrial production, suggesting that industrial production was not a major component of Sweden's economy during the Great Depression.
