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): 7.32 in 1950 → 2.77 in 2023 (−62%). Peak: 7.71 in 1967; the latest value is 64% lower. The trend broke around 1977 and 1999: +0.01 → −0.23 → +0.02 a year.
Births: 456k in 1950 → 906k in 2023 (+99%). Peak: 1.04M in 2017; the latest value is 13% lower. The trend broke around 1986 and 1999: +11k → −17.1k → +19.5k a year.
Population: 9.02M in 1950 → 46.2M in 2023 (×5.1). The trend broke around 1971: change sped up (+225k → +582k a year).
Internet: 0% in 1990 → 77.4% in 2024 (+77 pp). Thresholds: above 10% since 2008, above 50% since 2019. Fastest growth in 2012–2017: 18.2% → 47.7%.
Urban share: 31.3% in 1960 → 75.8% in 2025 (+44 pp). Thresholds: above 50% since 1988, above 75% since 2024. The trend broke around 1979: change sped up (+0.43 → +0.83 a year).
GDP per person (PPP): 11,729 PPP dollars in 1990 → 15,883 PPP dollars in 2025 (+35%). Low: 10,414 PPP dollars in 1994; +53% since then. The trend broke around 1996 and 2008: −202 → +345 → +54 a year.
GDP growth: on average 2.3% in the 1980s, 1.5% in the 1990s, 3.8% in the 2000s, 2.8% in the 2010s, 2.0% in the 2020s. Lowest: −5.4% in 1980; highest: 6.5% in 2003.
Inflation: on average 9.0% in the 1980s, 17.8% in the 1990s, 3.2% in the 2000s, 4.6% in the 2010s, 6.5% in the 2020s. Lowest: 0.3% in 2000; highest: 31.7% in 1992.
What changed at the same time
The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1985–1995: 6.04 → 3.49. Over the same years: births 840k → 699k; population 22M → 28.5M; internet 0% (1995); urban share 47.9% → 56%; GDP per person (PPP) 10,588 PPP dollars (1995); GDP growth 5.6% → 3.8%; inflation 10.4% → 29.8%.
Over the last 10 years (2013–2023): fertility (TFR) 3.00 → 2.77; births 981k → 906k; population 38.4M → 46.2M; internet 22.5% → 76.2%; urban share 68.9% → 74.7%; GDP per person (PPP) 14,778 PPP dollars → 15,159 PPP dollars; GDP growth 2.6% → 4.1%; inflation 3.3% → 9.3%.
How the indicators relate
Fertility (TFR) and internet (1990–2023, 31 years): levels are barely related (r = −0.01); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = −0.03).
Fertility (TFR) and urban share (1960–2023, 64 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.94); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = −0.13). 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 barely related (r = −0.37); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.22).
Forecasts vs actual
Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 1 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 10; median gap +41%.
The UN 2012 projection expected this level (2.77) already around 2013: reality is 10 years behind it.
The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (2.77, 2023) only around 2024: reality is 1 year ahead of it.
Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 2.00 (−28% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.78 (−36% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 1.28.
Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 0 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 11; median gap +40%.
The UN 2012 projection expected this level (906k) already around 2016: reality is 7 years behind it.
The UN 2022 projection expected this level (906k) already around 2022: reality is 1 year behind it.
Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 859k (−5% vs 2023), 2100 — 598k (−34% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 242k.
Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 0 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 12; median gap +6.5%.
The UN 1998 projection expected today's level (46.2M, 2023) only around 2025: reality is 2 years ahead of it.
The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (46.2M, 2023) only around 2024: reality is 1 year ahead of it.
Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 59.6M (+29% vs 2023), 2100 — 64.5M (+40% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 45M.
GDP growth: IMF next-year forecasts (34 editions, 2007–2023). On average the outcome was 0.9 pp below the forecast; below it in 56% of cases; typical error ±1.6 pp. The biggest miss was for 2020: IMF, October 2019 expected 2.4%, the outcome was −5%.
GDP growth: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2025 — 3.8%, 2027 — 2.9%, 2031 — 2.6%.
Inflation: IMF next-year forecasts (34 editions, 2007–2023). On average the outcome was 0.2 pp above the forecast; below it in 44% of cases; typical error ±2 pp. The biggest miss was for 2019: IMF, April 2018 expected 7.6%, the outcome was 2%.
Inflation: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2025 — 1.4%, 2027 — 3%, 2031 — 3.3%.
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
45.5M
46.2M
+1.5%
UN 2000
2023
23 years
41.8M
46.2M
+10.4%
UN 2002
2023
21 years
41.7M
46.2M
+10.7%
UN 2004
2023
19 years
42M
46.2M
+9.9%
UN 2006
2023
17 years
42M
46.2M
+9.9%
UN 2008
2023
15 years
42M
46.2M
+9.8%
UN 2010
2023
13 years
41.3M
46.2M
+11.7%
UN 2012
2023
11 years
45.5M
46.2M
+1.5%
UN 2015
2023
8 years
44.8M
46.2M
+3.1%
UN 2017
2023
6 years
45.2M
46.2M
+2.2%
UN 2019
2023
4 years
46.1M
46.2M
+0.2%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
45.6M
46.2M
+1.2%
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
746k
1.03M
+37.4%
UN 2000
2015–2020
18 years
698k
1.03M
+47%
UN 2002
2015–2020
16 years
691k
1.03M
+48.5%
UN 2004
2015–2020
14 years
733k
1.03M
+39.9%
UN 2006
2015–2020
12 years
731k
1.03M
+40.2%
UN 2008
2015–2020
10 years
731k
1.03M
+40.2%
UN 2010
2015–2020
8 years
666k
1.03M
+54%
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
900k
1.03M
+13.9%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
888k
1.03M
+15.5%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
900k
1.03M
+13.9%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
895k
906k
+1.2%
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
2.10
3.04
+44.9%
UN 2000
2015–2020
18 years
2.10
3.04
+44.9%
UN 2002
2015–2020
16 years
2.08
3.04
+46.3%
UN 2004
2015–2020
14 years
2.17
3.04
+40.5%
UN 2006
2015–2020
12 years
2.16
3.04
+40.7%
UN 2008
2015–2020
10 years
2.16
3.04
+40.7%
UN 2010
2015–2020
8 years
1.96
3.04
+55.1%
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
2.55
3.04
+19.6%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
2.62
3.04
+16.2%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
2.65
3.04
+14.8%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
2.77
2.77
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
−0.9 pp
1.6 pp
56%
Inflation
34
+0.2 pp
2 pp
44%
Unemployment rate
17
+0.2 pp
1 pp
47%
Government gross debt
24
−3 pp
7.4 pp
71%
All indicators
Demography
Population
46.2M persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.