Computed with the same code as the observations under the main chart and in the API (get_insights). Moving together in time does not prove a cause.
How the indicators changed
Fertility (TFR): 5.77 in 1950 → 5.12 in 2023 (−11%). Peak: 7.50 in 1974; the latest value is 32% lower. The trend broke around 1969 and 1987: +0.09 → 0 → −0.06 a year.
Births: 202k in 1950 → 1.38M in 2023 (×6.9). The trend broke around 1976: change sped up (+4.78k → +17.3k a year).
Population: 4.55M in 1950 → 36.8M in 2023 (×8.1). The trend broke around 1978 and 2004: +93.2k → +417k → +973k a year.
Internet: 0% in 1990 → 40.7% in 2024 (+41 pp). Threshold: above 10% since 2013. Fastest growth in 2010–2015: 2.8% → 22%.
Urban share: 10.4% in 1960 → 71.5% in 2025 (+61 pp). Threshold: above 50% since 2000. The trend broke around 1974 and 2003: +0.47 → +1.3 → +0.76 a year.
GDP per person (PPP): 8,366 PPP dollars in 1990 → 8,760 PPP dollars in 2025 (+5%). Peak: 11,718 PPP dollars in 2014; the latest value is 25% lower. The trend broke around 1996 and 2012: −414 → +394 → −284 a year.
GDP growth: on average 2.8% in the 1980s, 7.7% in the 1990s, 8.8% in the 2000s, 2.5% in the 2010s, 1.7% in the 2020s. Lowest: −4.4% in 1981; highest: 14.2% in 2005.
Inflation: on average 6.3% in the 1980s, 1,011.1% in the 1990s, 80.3% in the 2000s, 16.1% in the 2010s, 21.9% in the 2020s. Lowest: 1.4% in 1981; highest: 4,146% in 1996.
What changed at the same time
The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 2012–2022: 6.04 → 5.21. Over the same years: births 1.1M → 1.36M; population 25.2M → 35.6M; internet 7.7% → 35.8%; urban share 61.5% → 69.1%; GDP per person (PPP) 11,517 PPP dollars → 8,751 PPP dollars; GDP growth 8.5% → 4.2%; inflation 10.3% → 21.4%.
How the indicators relate
Fertility (TFR) and internet (1990–2023, 29 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.94); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = −0.38). This looks like a shared trend: both change over time, but not in step from year to year.
Fertility (TFR) and urban share (1960–2023, 64 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.84); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = −0.68). This looks like a shared trend: both change over time, but not in step from year to year.
Fertility (TFR) and GDP per person (PPP) (1990–2023, 34 years): levels are noticeably related, in opposite directions (r = −0.59); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.47).
Forecasts vs actual
Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 6 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 4; median gap −0.5%.
The UN 1998 projection expected this level (5.12) already around 2012: reality is 11 years behind it.
The UN 2019 projection expected today's level (5.12, 2023) only around 2024: reality is 1 year ahead of it.
Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 3.24 (−37% vs 2023), 2100 — 2.14 (−58% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 1.64.
Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 2 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 9; median gap +27%.
The UN 2000 projection expected today's level (1.38M, 2023) only around 2042: reality is 19 years ahead of it.
The UN 2022 projection expected this level (1.38M) already around 2022: reality is 1 year behind it.
Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 2.01M (+45% vs 2023), 2100 — 2.34M (+70% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 1.24M.
Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 0 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 12; median gap +38%.
The UN 1998 projection did not expect today's level (36.8M, 2023) before its horizon ended (2030).
The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (36.8M, 2023) only around 2024: reality is 1 year ahead of it.
Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 74.3M (+102% vs 2023), 2100 — 150M (×4.1 vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 109M.
GDP growth: IMF next-year forecasts (34 editions, 2007–2023). On average the outcome was 3.5 pp below the forecast; below it in 88% of cases; typical error ±3.8 pp. The biggest miss was for 2008: IMF, October 2007 expected 27.2%, the outcome was 10.8%.
GDP growth: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2025 — 3.1%, 2027 — 2.6%, 2031 — 3.1%.
Inflation: IMF next-year forecasts (36 editions, 2007–2024). On average the outcome was 4.1 pp above the forecast; below it in 22% of cases; typical error ±5.2 pp. The biggest miss was for 2016: IMF, April 2015 expected 8.5%, the outcome was 30.7%.
Inflation: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2026 — 12.9%, 2028 — 10.3%, 2031 — 9.8%.
UN projections vs actual
Solid line: actual data, UN WPP 2024 estimates to 2023, then national statistics where comparable with the UN. Dashed: medium variants of past UN revisions. The table shows what each revision expected for the latest year (or five-year period) with actual data.
Population
persons, 1 July
Actual
UN 1998
UN 2000
UN 2002
UN 2004
UN 2006
UN 2008
UN 2010
UN 2012
UN 2015
UN 2017
UN 2019
UN 2022
UN 2024, medium
Release
Target period
Horizon
Expected
Actual
Actual vs expected
UN 1998
2023
25 years
24M
36.8M
+53.1%
UN 2000
2023
23 years
26.6M
36.8M
+38.3%
UN 2002
2023
21 years
23.9M
36.8M
+54%
UN 2004
2023
19 years
25.6M
36.8M
+43.6%
UN 2006
2023
17 years
26M
36.8M
+41.1%
UN 2008
2023
15 years
26.3M
36.8M
+40%
UN 2010
2023
13 years
26.6M
36.8M
+38.3%
UN 2012
2023
11 years
28.8M
36.8M
+27.5%
UN 2015
2023
8 years
32M
36.8M
+14.7%
UN 2017
2023
6 years
36.1M
36.8M
+1.8%
UN 2019
2023
4 years
36.1M
36.8M
+1.7%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
36.7M
36.8M
+0.2%
Births
births per year
Actual
UN 1998
UN 2000
UN 2002
UN 2004
UN 2006
UN 2008
UN 2010
UN 2012
UN 2015
UN 2017
UN 2019
UN 2022
UN 2024, medium
Release
Target period
Horizon
Expected
Actual
Actual vs expected
UN 1998
2015–2020
20 years
784k
1.24M
+58.4%
UN 2000
2015–2020
18 years
1.02M
1.24M
+22.2%
UN 2002
2015–2020
16 years
953k
1.24M
+30.3%
UN 2004
2015–2020
14 years
965k
1.24M
+28.7%
UN 2006
2015–2020
12 years
978k
1.24M
+26.9%
UN 2008
2015–2020
10 years
885k
1.24M
+40.2%
UN 2010
2015–2020
8 years
859k
1.24M
+44.6%
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
1.03M
1.24M
+20.8%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
1.19M
1.24M
+4.3%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
1.25M
1.24M
−0.5%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
1.38M
1.38M
−0.1%
Total fertility rate
children per woman
Actual
UN 1998
UN 2000
UN 2002
UN 2004
UN 2006
UN 2008
UN 2010
UN 2012
UN 2015
UN 2017
UN 2019
UN 2022
UN 2024, medium
Release
Target period
Horizon
Expected
Actual
Actual vs expected
UN 1998
2015–2020
20 years
4.59
5.56
+21.2%
UN 2000
2015–2020
18 years
6.04
5.56
−7.9%
UN 2002
2015–2020
16 years
6.07
5.56
−8.3%
UN 2004
2015–2020
14 years
5.61
5.56
−0.8%
UN 2006
2015–2020
12 years
5.61
5.56
−0.8%
UN 2008
2015–2020
10 years
4.83
5.56
+15.2%
UN 2010
2015–2020
8 years
4.54
5.56
+22.7%
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
5.42
5.56
+2.7%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
5.79
5.56
−3.9%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
5.59
5.56
−0.5%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
5.12
5.12
0%
IMF forecasts vs actual
Solid line: actual values from the latest IMF edition (data get revised, so we use the newest). Dashed: April editions, current year and five years ahead. The table covers next-year forecasts from all editions: mean error shows bias, mean absolute error shows accuracy.
Real GDP growth
% per year
Actual (IMF)
WEO, April editions
Indicator
Forecasts
Mean error
Mean absolute error
Actual below forecast
Real GDP growth
34
−3.5 pp
3.8 pp
88%
Inflation
36
+4.1 pp
5.2 pp
22%
Government gross debt
28
+4.1 pp
16 pp
39%
All indicators
Demography
Population
36.8M persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.