Need help comprehending a Spanish paragraph
 

El efecto del «divorcio exprés» en España

En 2005, el gobierno de España introdujo un proyecto de ley para el «divorcio exprés», que permite el divorcio sin la separación física. En 2006, se registraron 126.952 divorcios en España, un aumento de 74,3* por ciento en comparación con 2005. El aumento más grande fue entre los recién casados: 945 parejas se divorciaron en el primer año de matrimonio, un aumento de 330,6 por ciento.

Question: ¿En qué porcentaje aumentaron los divorcios en 2006?

I thought this question is pretty easy,
Because I know what the question is asking about.
The question asks "what is the percentage of the number of divorced incresed in the year of 2006?"
However, in the paragraph, I think there is no information about the number of divorced that increase in the year of 2006.
There is a 74.3% of increase compare to the number of divorce with the year of 2005, but here is no information on the paragraph that can help me with the question.

Here is some wrong answer that the grading system told me after I entered them:

74,3
74.3
74,3 por ciento
74.3 por ciento

Am I missing something here? Or that's just a unclear question?

"En 2006, se registraron 126.952 divorcios en España, un aumento de 74,3* por ciento en comparación con 2005. " --> "En 2006 hubo un aumento de 74,3* por ciento en comparación con 2005.--> Los divorcios en el 2006 aumentaron un 74,3% respecto al 2005.
So I suppose you're Ok.
Try with
74,3% or 74.3%
best regards :D
PD: your original text says "74,3*". It may be possible that you computer didn't recognice the % symbol, so you must write simply "74,3*". In spanish "74,3*" has no meaning.

Your translation of the question was correct.

If the question had been "¿En qué porcentaje aumentaron los divorcios en 2006 en comparación con 2005?" would this have made more sense to you?

By my interpretation, "the increase in 2006" by definition has to be compared to a previous year. Unless otherwise specified (for example, "an increase in the last ten years"), it follows that it describes an increase from the previous year ... just my opinion.

I also agree your answer was right, and there must be something wrong with the way the system recorded data. Perhaps the entry that should be typed is, as Sosia suggested: "74,3*"

@Sosia: I think the "asterisco" after 74,3 is just a footnote reference, as it says afterwards "por ciento", so the symbol % wouldn't be needed, but maybe the one who entered the data to the system didn't see that. :)

Thank you very much!

I tried to type 74,3% and the system told me that my answer was right!

Thank you very much!

De nada :D You're welcome :D