The population (in thousands) of a town is given as :
2015 : 120, 2016 : 132, 2017 : 145, 2018 : 130, 2019 : 156
In which year was the growth rate (compared to the previous year) the highest ?

Let's calculate the growth rate for each year compared to its previous year:
* For 2016:

$$\text{Growth Rate}=\frac{132-120}{120}\times 100\%=\frac{12}{120}\times 100\%=10\%$$

* For 2017:

$$\text{Growth Rate}=\frac{145-132}{132}\times 100\%=\frac{13}{132}\times 100\%\approx 9.85\%$$

* For 2018:
The population decreased from 145 to 130, so the growth rate is negative.
* For 2019:

$$\text{Growth Rate}=\frac{156-130}{130}\times 100\%=\frac{26}{130}\times 100\%=20\%$$

Comparing the values, the growth rate was highest in the year 2019 (20%).