All indicators of the Macroscope base for Antigua and Barbuda, with sources. Below: what past UN and IMF releases projected and what actually happened.
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): 5.12 in 1950 → 1.58 in 2023 (−69%). Low: 1.37 in 2018; +15% since then. Threshold: below 2.1 since 2001. The trend broke around 1965 and 1980: −0.05 → −0.14 → −0.02 a year.
Births: 1.66k in 1950 → 1.11k in 2023 (−33%). Peak: 2.03k in 1964; the latest value is 46% lower. The trend broke around 1964 and 1973: +0.03k → −0.06k → −0.01k a year.
Population: 45.4k in 1950 → 93.3k in 2023 (+105%). The trend broke around 1969 and 1990: +0.98k → +0.01k → +0.97k a year.
Internet: 0% in 1990 → 72.7% in 2024 (+73 pp). Thresholds: above 10% since 2002, above 50% since 2011. Fastest growth in 2009–2014: 42% → 67.8%.
Urban share: 39.6% in 1960 → 24.3% in 2025 (−15 pp). The trend broke around 1969 and 1990: −0.73 → +0.1 → −0.39 a year.
GDP per person (PPP): 21,075 PPP dollars in 1990 → 30,620 PPP dollars in 2025 (+45%). The trend broke around 2007 and 2013: +581 → −760 → +362 a year.
GDP growth: on average 6.4% in the 1980s, 3.4% in the 1990s, 3.1% in the 2000s, 1.3% in the 2010s, 0.8% in the 2020s. Lowest: −18.9% in 2020; highest: 12.7% in 2006.
Inflation: on average 5.7% in the 1980s, 3.4% in the 1990s, 1.8% in the 2000s, 1.8% in the 2010s, 3.8% in the 2020s. Lowest: −0.6% in 2009; highest: 19% in 1980.
What changed at the same time
The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1965–1975: 4.42 → 2.77. Over the same years: births 1.99k → 1.43k; population 60k → 63.8k; urban share 36.4% → 33.9%; no data for the others in those years.
Over the last 10 years (2013–2023): fertility (TFR) 1.54 → 1.58; births 1.1k → 1.11k; population 88.1k → 93.3k; internet 63.4% → 72.1%; urban share 25.2% → 24.5%; GDP per person (PPP) 25,207 PPP dollars → 28,712 PPP dollars; GDP growth −0.6% → 3.9%; inflation 1.1% → 5.1%.
How the indicators relate
Fertility (TFR) and internet (1990–2023, 30 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.93); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = −0.22). 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 the same direction (r = 0.70); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = −0.07). 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 = −0.46); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.04).
Forecasts vs actual
Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 3 of 4 revisions (2012–2022) and above in none; median gap −28%.
Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 1.58 (0% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.61 (+2% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 1.11.
Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 4 of 4 revisions (2012–2022) and above in none; median gap −30%.
The UN 2012 projection did not expect today's level (1.11k, 2023) before its horizon ended (2097).
The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (1.11k, 2023) only around 2025: reality is 2 years ahead of it.
Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 0.82k (−26% vs 2023), 2100 — 0.52k (−53% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 0.16k.
Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 9 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 3; median gap −5.9%.
The UN 2004 projection expected this level (93.3k) already around 2016: reality is 7 years behind it.
The UN 2015 projection expected this level (93.3k) already around 2016: reality is 7 years behind it.
Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 95.1k (+2% vs 2023), 2100 — 68k (−27% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 43.9k.
GDP growth: IMF next-year forecasts (34 editions, 2007–2023). On average the outcome was 3 pp below the forecast; below it in 62% of cases; typical error ±4.2 pp. The biggest miss was for 2020: IMF, October 2019 expected 3.3%, the outcome was −18.9%.
GDP growth: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2025 — 3%, 2027 — 2.4%, 2031 — 2.5%.
Inflation: IMF next-year forecasts (36 editions, 2007–2024). On average the outcome was 0.3 pp above the forecast; below it in 56% of cases; typical error ±1.7 pp. The biggest miss was for 2022: IMF, April 2021 expected 2%, the outcome was 7.5%.
Inflation: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2026 — 2.6%, 2028 — 2%, 2031 — 2%.
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
74.6k
93.3k
+25.1%
UN 2000
2023
23 years
69.2k
93.3k
+34.8%
UN 2002
2023
21 years
77.8k
93.3k
+19.9%
UN 2004
2023
19 years
98.8k
93.3k
−5.5%
UN 2006
2023
17 years
99.2k
93.3k
−5.9%
UN 2008
2023
15 years
99.8k
93.3k
−6.5%
UN 2010
2023
13 years
99.8k
93.3k
−6.5%
UN 2012
2023
11 years
99.2k
93.3k
−5.9%
UN 2015
2023
8 years
99.1k
93.3k
−5.9%
UN 2017
2023
6 years
108k
93.3k
−13.7%
UN 2019
2023
4 years
100k
93.3k
−6.9%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
94.3k
93.3k
−1%
Births
births per year
Actual
UN 2012
UN 2015
UN 2017
UN 2019
UN 2022
UN 2024, medium
Release
Target period
Horizon
Expected
Actual
Actual vs expected
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
1.5k
1.05k
−29.8%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
1.5k
1.05k
−29.7%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
1.64k
1.05k
−35.9%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
1.12k
1.11k
−0.9%
Total fertility rate
children per woman
Actual
UN 2012
UN 2015
UN 2017
UN 2019
UN 2022
UN 2024, medium
Release
Target period
Horizon
Expected
Actual
Actual vs expected
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
2.03
1.47
−27.7%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
2.03
1.47
−27.7%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
2.03
1.47
−27.7%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
1.58
1.58
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 pp
4.2 pp
62%
Inflation
36
+0.3 pp
1.7 pp
56%
Government gross debt
28
−5.5 pp
9.2 pp
68%
All indicators
Demography
Population
93.3k persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.