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): 4.63 in 1950 → 2.80 in 2023 (−39%). Peak: 5.48 in 1963; the latest value is 49% lower. The trend broke around 1965 and 2001: +0.07 → −0.08 → +0.02 a year.
Births: 63.7k in 1950 → 151k in 2023 (+137%). Peak: 173k in 2019; the latest value is 13% lower. The trend broke around 1990 and 1999: +1.91k → −3.39k → +2.32k a year.
Population: 1.75M in 1950 → 7.07M in 2023 (×4). The trend broke around 2011: change sped up (+49.7k → +125k a year).
Internet: 0% in 1990 → 92% in 2024 (+92 pp). Thresholds: above 10% since 2005, above 50% since 2017, above 90% since 2023. Fastest growth in 2015–2020: 30.2% → 72%.
Urban share: 34.4% in 1960 → 34.7% in 2025 (+0.4 pp). The trend broke around 1981 and 2000: +0.18 → −0.19 → −0.03 a year.
GDP per person (PPP): 6,096 PPP dollars in 1990 → 7,878 PPP dollars in 2025 (+29%). Low: 2,975 PPP dollars in 1995; ×2.6 since then. The trend broke around 1996: direction reversed (−460 → +137 a year).
GDP growth: on average −2.2% in the 1990s, 4.7% in the 2000s, 4.1% in the 2010s, 5.6% in the 2020s. Lowest: −19.8% in 1994; highest: 11.5% in 2024.
Inflation: on average 201.5% in the 1990s, 8.7% in the 2000s, 5.4% in the 2010s, 9.6% in the 2020s. Lowest: 0.4% in 2016; highest: 1,086% in 1993.
What changed at the same time
The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1987–1997: 4.16 → 2.88. Over the same years: births 146k → 116k; population 4.24M → 4.85M; internet 0.1% (1998); urban share 38.2% → 35.6%; GDP per person (PPP) 3,400 PPP dollars (1997); GDP growth 9.9% (1997); inflation 23.4% (1997).
Over the last 10 years (2013–2023): fertility (TFR) 3.15 → 2.80; births 153k → 151k; population 5.8M → 7.07M; internet 23% → 91%; urban share 35.2% → 34.7%; GDP per person (PPP) 5,419 PPP dollars → 6,576 PPP dollars; GDP growth 10.9% → 9%; inflation 6.6% → 10.8%.
How the indicators relate
Fertility (TFR) and internet (1990–2023, 27 years): levels are barely related (r = 0.24); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = −0.11).
Fertility (TFR) and urban share (1960–2023, 64 years): levels are noticeably related, in the same direction (r = 0.53); year-to-year changes are weakly related (r = 0.45).
Fertility (TFR) and GDP per person (PPP) (1990–2023, 34 years): levels are barely related (r = 0.35); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.24).
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 +45%.
The UN 2012 projection expected this level (2.80) already around 2020: reality is 3 years behind it.
The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (2.80, 2023) only around 2027: reality is 4 years ahead of it.
Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 2.23 (−20% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.85 (−34% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 1.35.
Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 1 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 10; median gap +41%.
Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 159k (+6% vs 2023), 2100 — 128k (−15% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 52.7k.
Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 0 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 12; median gap +11%.
The UN 1998 projection did not expect today's level (7.07M, 2023) before its horizon ended (2030).
The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (7.07M, 2023) only around 2027: reality is 4 years ahead of it.
Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 9.64M (+36% vs 2023), 2100 — 11.7M (+66% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 7.92M.
GDP growth: IMF next-year forecasts (34 editions, 2007–2023). On average the outcome was 0.5 pp below the forecast; below it in 53% of cases; typical error ±3.3 pp. The biggest miss was for 2020: IMF, April 2019 expected 3.4%, the outcome was −7.1%.
GDP growth: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2025 — 11.1%, 2027 — 6.1%, 2031 — 5.2%.
Inflation: IMF next-year forecasts (34 editions, 2007–2023). On average the outcome was 0.4 pp above the forecast; below it in 59% of cases; typical error ±4.9 pp. The biggest miss was for 2008: IMF, April 2007 expected 4%, the outcome was 24.5%.
Inflation: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2025 — 8.2%, 2027 — 10%, 2031 — 6.5%.
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
5.97M
7.07M
+18.6%
UN 2000
2023
23 years
6.34M
7.07M
+11.5%
UN 2002
2023
21 years
6.39M
7.07M
+10.7%
UN 2004
2023
19 years
6.21M
7.07M
+13.9%
UN 2006
2023
17 years
6.14M
7.07M
+15.2%
UN 2008
2023
15 years
6.3M
7.07M
+12.3%
UN 2010
2023
13 years
6.22M
7.07M
+13.7%
UN 2012
2023
11 years
6.41M
7.07M
+10.4%
UN 2015
2023
8 years
6.62M
7.07M
+6.9%
UN 2017
2023
6 years
6.53M
7.07M
+8.3%
UN 2019
2023
4 years
6.82M
7.07M
+3.7%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
6.74M
7.07M
+5%
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
102k
159k
+56.3%
UN 2000
2015–2020
18 years
109k
159k
+45.6%
UN 2002
2015–2020
16 years
101k
159k
+57.3%
UN 2004
2015–2020
14 years
107k
159k
+49.2%
UN 2006
2015–2020
12 years
109k
159k
+46.4%
UN 2008
2015–2020
10 years
113k
159k
+40.8%
UN 2010
2015–2020
8 years
130k
159k
+22.2%
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
148k
159k
+7.4%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
148k
159k
+7.9%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
146k
159k
+9.4%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
152k
151k
−1.1%
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
3.18
+51.3%
UN 2000
2015–2020
18 years
2.10
3.18
+51.3%
UN 2002
2015–2020
16 years
1.94
3.18
+64.1%
UN 2004
2015–2020
14 years
2.08
3.18
+52.8%
UN 2006
2015–2020
12 years
2.12
3.18
+49.7%
UN 2008
2015–2020
10 years
2.20
3.18
+44.7%
UN 2010
2015–2020
8 years
2.55
3.18
+24.6%
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
2.91
3.18
+9.3%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
2.93
3.18
+8.6%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
2.91
3.18
+9.2%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
2.91
2.80
−3.7%
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
−0.5 pp
3.3 pp
53%
Inflation
34
+0.4 pp
4.9 pp
59%
Unemployment rate
23
−0.3 pp
1.1 pp
61%
Government gross debt
26
−6.3 pp
10.8 pp
77%
All indicators
Demography
Population
7.07M persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.