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): 6.25 in 1950 → 2.66 in 2023 (−58%). The trend broke around 1990: change sped up (−0.02 → −0.1 a year).
Births: 152k in 1950 → 258k in 2023 (+70%). The trend broke around 1971 and 1991: +1.95k → +3.7k → +0.04k a year.
Population: 3.27M in 1950 → 11.6M in 2023 (×3.6).
Internet: 0% in 1990 → 47.9% in 2024 (+48 pp). Threshold: above 10% since 2013. Fastest growth in 2015–2020: 14.2% → 39.4%.
Urban share: 15.2% in 1960 → 55.6% in 2025 (+40 pp). Threshold: above 50% since 2016. The trend broke around 1990 and 2004: +0.24 → +1.3 → +0.65 a year.
GDP per person (PPP): 3,923 PPP dollars in 1990 → 2,678 PPP dollars in 2025 (−32%). The trend broke around 1996 and 2018: −132 → +16 → −105 a year.
GDP growth: on average 0.4% in the 1980s, 0.4% in the 1990s, 2.2% in the 2000s, 1.3% in the 2010s, −2.6% in the 2020s. Lowest: −11.6% in 1994; highest: 9.9% in 1995.
Inflation: on average 6.7% in the 1980s, 19.3% in the 1990s, 12.9% in the 2000s, 7.8% in the 2010s, 27.3% in the 2020s. Lowest: −11.4% in 1987; highest: 44.1% in 2023.
What changed at the same time
The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1992–2002: 5.21 → 4.13. Over the same years: births 263k → 263k; population 7.14M → 8.61M; internet 0.9% (2002); urban share 26.4% → 40%; GDP per person (PPP) 3,635 PPP dollars → 3,145 PPP dollars; GDP growth −2.3% → 1.1%; inflation 19.4% → 6.6%.
Over the last 10 years (2013–2023): fertility (TFR) 3.22 → 2.66; births 266k → 258k; population 10.2M → 11.6M; internet 10.6% → 48%; urban share 48.1% → 54.4%; GDP per person (PPP) 3,357 PPP dollars → 2,939 PPP dollars; GDP growth 4.3% → −1.9%; inflation 5.3% → 44.1%.
How the indicators relate
Fertility (TFR) and internet (1990–2023, 28 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.83); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = −0.04). 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 = −1.00); year-to-year changes are related too (r = −0.67). Changes line up from year to year too, which is more than a shared trend.
Fertility (TFR) and GDP per person (PPP) (1990–2023, 34 years): levels are barely related (r = 0.31); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.03). Changes line up best with a 4 years shift: "Fertility (TFR)" moves first, then "GDP per person (PPP)" (r = −0.58).
Forecasts vs actual
Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 4 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 7; median gap +1.7%.
The UN 1998 projection expected today's level (2.66, 2023) only around 2024: reality is 1 year ahead of it.
The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (2.66, 2023) only around 2025: reality is 2 years ahead of it.
Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 2.06 (−22% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.77 (−33% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 1.27.
Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 4 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 7; median gap +1.2%.
The UN 1998 projection expected today's level (258k, 2023) only around 2024: reality is 1 year ahead of it.
The UN 2019 projection expected today's level (258k, 2023) only around 2029: reality is 6 years ahead of it.
Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 233k (−10% vs 2023), 2100 — 172k (−34% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 68.6k.
Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 9 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 3; median gap −0.6%.
The UN 1998 projection expected this level (11.6M) already around 2022: reality is 1 year behind it.
The UN 2022 projection expected this level (11.6M) already around 2022: reality is 1 year behind it.
Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 14.7M (+26% vs 2023), 2100 — 15.2M (+30% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 9.76M.
GDP growth: IMF next-year forecasts (34 editions, 2007–2023). On average the outcome was 3.1 pp below the forecast; below it in 94% of cases; typical error ±3.3 pp. The biggest miss was for 2010: IMF, October 2009 expected 2.7%, the outcome was −5.7%.
GDP growth: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2025 — −2.7%, 2027 — 0.5%, 2031 — 1.5%.
Inflation: IMF next-year forecasts (34 editions, 2007–2023). On average the outcome was 3.3 pp above the forecast; below it in 47% of cases; typical error ±5.9 pp. The biggest miss was for 2023: IMF, April 2022 expected 14.3%, the outcome was 44.1%.
Inflation: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2025 — 28.3%, 2027 — 19.7%, 2031 — 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
11.7M
11.6M
−0.3%
UN 2000
2023
23 years
11.3M
11.6M
+3%
UN 2002
2023
21 years
10.5M
11.6M
+10.9%
UN 2004
2023
19 years
10.7M
11.6M
+9.2%
UN 2006
2023
17 years
12M
11.6M
−3.2%
UN 2008
2023
15 years
12.2M
11.6M
−4.4%
UN 2010
2023
13 years
11.7M
11.6M
−0.5%
UN 2012
2023
11 years
11.7M
11.6M
−0.4%
UN 2015
2023
8 years
11.8M
11.6M
−1%
UN 2017
2023
6 years
11.7M
11.6M
−0.9%
UN 2019
2023
4 years
11.8M
11.6M
−1.5%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
11.7M
11.6M
−0.8%
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
268k
266k
−0.8%
UN 2000
2015–2020
18 years
263k
266k
+1.2%
UN 2002
2015–2020
16 years
247k
266k
+7.7%
UN 2004
2015–2020
14 years
247k
266k
+7.8%
UN 2006
2015–2020
12 years
270k
266k
−1.5%
UN 2008
2015–2020
10 years
276k
266k
−3.6%
UN 2010
2015–2020
8 years
262k
266k
+1.5%
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
263k
266k
+1.2%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
262k
266k
+1.4%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
261k
266k
+1.7%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
268k
258k
−3.5%
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
2.96
2.96
−0.1%
UN 2000
2015–2020
18 years
2.96
2.96
−0.1%
UN 2002
2015–2020
16 years
2.96
2.96
−0.1%
UN 2004
2015–2020
14 years
2.94
2.96
+0.5%
UN 2006
2015–2020
12 years
2.91
2.96
+1.7%
UN 2008
2015–2020
10 years
2.91
2.96
+1.7%
UN 2010
2015–2020
8 years
2.85
2.96
+3.8%
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
2.90
2.96
+2.1%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
2.85
2.96
+3.8%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
2.85
2.96
+3.8%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
2.73
2.66
−2.8%
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
−3.1 pp
3.3 pp
94%
Inflation
34
+3.3 pp
5.9 pp
47%
Government gross debt
26
−4.2 pp
7.4 pp
69%
All indicators
Demography
Population
11.6M persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.