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): 5.08 in 1950 → 1.67 in 2023 (−67%). Peak: 5.96 in 1962; the latest value is 72% lower. Threshold: below 2.1 since 2015. The trend broke around 1961 and 1998: +0.09 → −0.11 → 0 a year.
Births: 118k in 1950 → 125k in 2023 (+6%). Peak: 214k in 1988; the latest value is 41% lower. The trend broke around 1990 and 1996: +1.44k → −11.1k → +0.91k a year.
Population: 3.13M in 1950 → 10.3M in 2023 (×3.3).
Internet: 0% in 1990 → 90.8% in 2025 (+91 pp). Thresholds: above 10% since 2006, above 50% since 2011, above 90% since 2024. Fastest growth in 2008–2013: 17.1% → 73%.
Urban share: 48.1% in 1960 → 58.6% in 2025 (+11 pp). Threshold: above 50% since 1970. The trend broke around 1988 and 2001: +0.2 → −0.27 → +0.35 a year.
GDP per person (PPP): 10,776 PPP dollars in 1990 → 22,314 PPP dollars in 2025 (+107%). Low: 4,212 PPP dollars in 1995; ×5.3 since then. The trend broke around 2000 and 2009: −615 → +1,779 → +148 a year.
GDP growth: on average −3.9% in the 1990s, 15.1% in the 2000s, 1.8% in the 2010s, 2.3% in the 2020s. Lowest: −23.1% in 1993; highest: 34.5% in 2006.
Inflation: on average 459.9% in the 1990s, 7.2% in the 2000s, 5.3% in the 2010s, 6.6% in the 2020s. Lowest: −8.5% in 1999; highest: 1,664% in 1994.
What changed at the same time
The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1965–1975: 5.79 → 4.22. Over the same years: births 195k → 158k; population 4.63M → 5.67M; urban share 49.6% → 52%; no data for the others in those years.
Over the last 10 years (2013–2023): fertility (TFR) 2.15 → 1.67; births 192k → 125k; population 9.5M → 10.3M; internet 73% → 89%; urban share 54.2% → 58.5%; GDP per person (PPP) 20,399 PPP dollars → 21,311 PPP dollars; GDP growth 5.8% → 1.4%; inflation 2.4% → 8.8%.
How the indicators relate
Fertility (TFR) and internet (1990–2023, 29 years): levels are barely related (r = −0.18); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.42).
Fertility (TFR) and urban share (1960–2023, 64 years): levels are noticeably related, in opposite directions (r = −0.68); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.27).
Fertility (TFR) and GDP per person (PPP) (1990–2023, 34 years): levels are barely related (r = −0.18); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.25).
Forecasts vs actual
Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 5 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 6; median gap +1.2%.
The UN 2008 projection did not expect today's level (1.67, 2023) before its horizon ended (2047).
The UN 2019 projection did not expect today's level (1.67, 2023) before its horizon ended (2097).
Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 1.63 (−2% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.62 (−3% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 1.12.
Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 3 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 8; median gap +3.8%.
The UN 1998 projection expected this level (125k) already around 2022: reality is 1 year behind it.
The UN 2019 projection expected today's level (125k, 2023) only around 2040: reality is 17 years ahead of it.
Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 116k (−7% vs 2023), 2100 — 91.3k (−27% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 35.7k.
Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 5 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 7; median gap +1.6%.
Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 11.2M (+9% vs 2023), 2100 — 10M (−3% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 6.74M.
GDP growth: IMF next-year forecasts (34 editions, 2007–2023). On average the outcome was 2.2 pp below the forecast; below it in 74% of cases; typical error ±3.7 pp. The biggest miss was for 2008: IMF, October 2007 expected 23.2%, the outcome was 10.8%.
GDP growth: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2025 — 1.4%, 2027 — 2.5%, 2031 — 2.5%.
Inflation: IMF next-year forecasts (36 editions, 2007–2024). On average the outcome was 0.9 pp below the forecast; below it in 47% of cases; typical error ±4.6 pp. The biggest miss was for 2009: IMF, April 2008 expected 20.5%, the outcome was 1.5%.
Inflation: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2026 — 6%, 2028 — 4.1%, 2031 — 4%.
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
9.31M
10.3M
+10.9%
UN 2000
2023
23 years
9.03M
10.3M
+14.3%
UN 2002
2023
21 years
10.1M
10.3M
+2.2%
UN 2004
2023
19 years
9.52M
10.3M
+8.3%
UN 2006
2023
17 years
9.44M
10.3M
+9.3%
UN 2008
2023
15 years
10M
10.3M
+2.9%
UN 2010
2023
13 years
10.4M
10.3M
−1.2%
UN 2012
2023
11 years
10.2M
10.3M
+1%
UN 2015
2023
8 years
10.4M
10.3M
−1.2%
UN 2017
2023
6 years
10.3M
10.3M
0%
UN 2019
2023
4 years
10.4M
10.3M
−0.5%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
10.4M
10.3M
−0.9%
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
135k
163k
+20.5%
UN 2000
2015–2020
18 years
113k
163k
+45%
UN 2002
2015–2020
16 years
161k
163k
+1.3%
UN 2004
2015–2020
14 years
147k
163k
+11.3%
UN 2006
2015–2020
12 years
146k
163k
+11.6%
UN 2008
2015–2020
10 years
161k
163k
+1.5%
UN 2010
2015–2020
8 years
171k
163k
−4.8%
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
154k
163k
+5.7%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
180k
163k
−9.4%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
165k
163k
−1%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
120k
125k
+3.8%
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
1.90
1.93
+1.8%
UN 2000
2015–2020
18 years
1.51
1.93
+28.4%
UN 2002
2015–2020
16 years
1.96
1.93
−1.3%
UN 2004
2015–2020
14 years
1.85
1.93
+4.6%
UN 2006
2015–2020
12 years
1.85
1.93
+4.6%
UN 2008
2015–2020
10 years
2.03
1.93
−4.9%
UN 2010
2015–2020
8 years
2.14
1.93
−9.7%
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
1.86
1.93
+4.1%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
2.22
1.93
−13%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
2.04
1.93
−5%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
1.65
1.67
+1.2%
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
−2.2 pp
3.7 pp
74%
Inflation
36
−0.9 pp
4.6 pp
47%
Unemployment rate
29
−0.4 pp
0.8 pp
79%
Government gross debt
28
−6.3 pp
8.3 pp
75%
All indicators
Demography
Population
10.3M persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.