I will go with the option "D".
Comma in front of E rules out the option. In A and B options, we have the semicolon, which implies that the statement should stand on its own, which I feel doesnt. In C I see the problem of tense.
So I will go with D as this has "compared with" and sounds right in this case.
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It's B. You need 'had' because the expression 'had grown' is proper in the sentence. 'Had grown' indicates that the statistic grew over time, whereas any other form of the verb would indicate that it just suddenly was different. When you say "by [date]", you have to use that verb form.
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