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): 4.57 in 1950 → 2.87 in 2024 (−37%). Peak: 4.74 in 1952; the latest value is 39% lower. The trend broke around 1990 and 2018: −0.05 → +0.01 → −0.04 a year.
Births: 47.5k in 1950 → 182k in 2025 (×3.8). The trend broke around 1992 and 2015: +1.41k → +2.97k → +0.66k a year.
Population: 1.29M in 1950 → 9.26M in 2023 (×7.2).
Internet: 0.1% in 1990 → 88.2% in 2024 (+88 pp). Thresholds: above 10% since 1998, above 50% since 2008. Fastest growth in 2005–2010: 25.2% → 67.5%.
Urban share: 76.9% in 1960 → 91.6% in 2025 (+15 pp). The trend broke around 1978 and 2002: +0.61 → +0.12 → 0 a year.
GDP per person (PPP): 25,341 PPP dollars in 1990 → 48,197 PPP dollars in 2025 (+90%). The trend broke around 1997 and 2003: +888 → +225 → +735 a year.
GDP growth: on average 3.5% in the 1980s, 5.6% in the 1990s, 3.5% in the 2000s, 4.0% in the 2010s, 3.3% in the 2020s. Lowest: −1.8% in 2020; highest: 9.7% in 1995.
Inflation: on average 148.2% in the 1980s, 11.2% in the 1990s, 2.0% in the 2000s, 1.1% in the 2010s, 2.6% in the 2020s. Lowest: −0.6% in 2015; highest: 373.8% in 1984.
What changed at the same time
The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1971–1981: 3.85 → 3.07. Over the same years: births 80.8k → 89.8k; population 2.98M → 3.8M; urban share 84.8% → 89.1%; GDP growth 4.7% (1981); inflation 116.8% (1981); no data for the others in those years.
Over the last 10 years (2014–2024): fertility (TFR) 3.08 → 2.87; births 169k → 182k; population 7.9M → 9.26M; internet 75% → 88.2%; urban share 91.7% → 91.5%; GDP per person (PPP) 40,796 PPP dollars → 47,389 PPP dollars; GDP growth 3.7% → 1%; inflation 0.5% → 3.1%.
How the indicators relate
Fertility (TFR) and internet (1990–2024, 35 years): levels are noticeably related, in the same direction (r = 0.69); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.33).
Fertility (TFR) and urban share (1960–2024, 65 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.96); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = −0.21). 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) (1990–2024, 35 years): levels are noticeably related, in the same direction (r = 0.59); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.32).
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 +25%.
The UN 2010 projection expected this level (2.87) already around 2015: reality is 9 years behind it.
The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (2.87, 2024) only around 2026: reality is 2 years ahead of it.
Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 2.31 (−19% vs 2024), 2100 — 1.91 (−34% vs 2024); low variant for 2100: 1.41.
Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 0 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 12; median gap +23%.
The UN 2010 projection did not expect today's level (182k, 2025) before its horizon ended (2097).
The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (182k, 2025) only around 2031: reality is 6 years ahead of it.
National statistics for 2025: 182k, 6% above the UN 2024 medium variant (171k).
Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 212k (+16% vs 2025), 2100 — 227k (+25% vs 2025); low variant for 2100: 114k.
Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 0 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 12; median gap +6.2%.
The UN 1998 projection did not expect today's level (9.26M, 2023) before its horizon ended (2030).
The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (9.26M, 2023) only around 2024: reality is 1 year ahead of it.
Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 13.1M (+41% vs 2023), 2100 — 19.7M (+113% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 14.7M.
GDP growth: IMF next-year forecasts (36 editions, 2007–2024). On average the outcome was 0.1 pp above the forecast; below it in 44% of cases; typical error ±1.8 pp. The biggest miss was for 2010: IMF, April 2009 expected 0.3%, the outcome was 5.5%.
GDP growth: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2026 — 3.5%, 2028 — 3.7%, 2031 — 3.4%.
Inflation: IMF next-year forecasts (36 editions, 2007–2024). On average the outcome was 0 pp above the forecast; below it in 47% of cases; typical error ±1.2 pp. The biggest miss was for 2022: IMF, April 2021 expected 0.6%, the outcome was 4.4%.
Inflation: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2026 — 2.3%, 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
8.15M
9.26M
+13.6%
UN 2000
2023
23 years
8.33M
9.26M
+11.1%
UN 2002
2023
21 years
8.44M
9.26M
+9.7%
UN 2004
2023
19 years
8.56M
9.26M
+8.1%
UN 2006
2023
17 years
8.54M
9.26M
+8.4%
UN 2008
2023
15 years
8.59M
9.26M
+7.8%
UN 2010
2023
13 years
9.02M
9.26M
+2.7%
UN 2012
2023
11 years
8.85M
9.26M
+4.6%
UN 2015
2023
8 years
9.1M
9.26M
+1.7%
UN 2017
2023
6 years
9.1M
9.26M
+1.8%
UN 2019
2023
4 years
9.06M
9.26M
+2.2%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
9.17M
9.26M
+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
2020–2025
24 years
121k
177k
+45.4%
UN 2000
2020–2025
22 years
124k
177k
+42.4%
UN 2002
2020–2025
20 years
127k
177k
+39.5%
UN 2004
2020–2025
18 years
132k
177k
+33.5%
UN 2006
2020–2025
16 years
133k
177k
+32.6%
UN 2008
2020–2025
14 years
135k
177k
+30.6%
UN 2010
2020–2025
12 years
158k
177k
+11.8%
UN 2012
2020–2025
10 years
154k
177k
+14.7%
UN 2015
2020–2025
8 years
165k
177k
+7.1%
UN 2017
2020–2025
6 years
165k
177k
+7.1%
UN 2019
2020–2025
4 years
170k
177k
+3.7%
UN 2022
2025
3 years
176k
182k
+3.4%
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
3.08
+46.6%
UN 2000
2015–2020
18 years
2.10
3.08
+46.6%
UN 2002
2015–2020
16 years
2.25
3.08
+37%
UN 2004
2015–2020
14 years
2.36
3.08
+30.6%
UN 2006
2015–2020
12 years
2.42
3.08
+27.4%
UN 2008
2015–2020
10 years
2.46
3.08
+25.3%
UN 2010
2015–2020
8 years
2.84
3.08
+8.5%
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
2.80
3.08
+10.1%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
2.93
3.08
+5.2%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
2.92
3.08
+5.4%
UN 2022
2024
2 years
2.89
2.87
−0.8%
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
36
+0.1 pp
1.8 pp
44%
Inflation
36
0 pp
1.2 pp
47%
Unemployment rate
36
−0.2 pp
0.8 pp
72%
Government gross debt
28
−2.9 pp
6.5 pp
79%
All indicators
Demography
Population
9.26M persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.