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): 2.71 in 1950 → 1.04 in 2025 (−62%). Thresholds: below 2.1 since 1988, below 1.5 since 2020. The trend broke around 2006 and 2017: −0.03 → +0.03 → −0.09 a year.
Births: 53.5k in 1950 → 17.6k in 2025 (−67%). Peak: 63k in 1961; the latest value is 72% lower. The trend broke around 1991 and 1997: −0.05k → −3.12k → −0.48k a year.
Population: 2.43M in 1950 → 2.85M in 2023 (+17%). Peak: 3.7M in 1991; the latest value is 23% lower. The trend broke around 1991 and 2017: +32.7k → −36.3k → −6k a year.
Internet: 0% in 1990 → 89.2% in 2024 (+89 pp). Thresholds: above 10% since 2002, above 50% since 2008. Fastest growth in 2001–2006: 7.2% → 43.9%.
Urban share: 39.8% in 1960 → 69.1% in 2025 (+29 pp). Threshold: above 50% since 1970. The trend broke around 1986: direction reversed (+1.1 → −0.04 a year).
GDP per person (PPP): 20,594 PPP dollars in 1990 → 48,840 PPP dollars in 2025 (+137%). Low: 11,691 PPP dollars in 1994; ×4.2 since then. The trend broke around 1996: direction reversed (−1,303 → +1,313 a year).
GDP growth: on average 5.0% in the 1990s, 4.8% in the 2000s, 3.9% in the 2010s, 2.6% in the 2020s. Lowest: −14.5% in 2009; highest: 11.1% in 2007.
Inflation: on average 9.5% in the 1990s, 3.1% in the 2000s, 1.8% in the 2010s, 6.3% in the 2020s. Lowest: −1.1% in 2003; highest: 22.3% in 1996.
What changed at the same time
The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1992–2002: 1.97 → 1.23. Over the same years: births 54.6k → 29.6k; population 3.7M → 3.44M; internet 17.7% (2002); urban share 67.6% → 66.9%; GDP per person (PPP) 15,286 PPP dollars → 18,223 PPP dollars; GDP growth 6.5% (2002); inflation 0.3% (2002).
Over the last 10 years (2015–2025): fertility (TFR) 1.71 → 1.04; births 31.7k → 17.6k; population 2.91M (2015); internet 71.4% → 89.2%; urban share 67.2% → 69.1%; GDP per person (PPP) 35,265 PPP dollars → 48,840 PPP dollars; GDP growth 2.8% → 2.9%; inflation −0.7% → 3.4%.
How the indicators relate
Fertility (TFR) and internet (1990–2024, 30 years): levels are barely related (r = 0.01); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.16).
Fertility (TFR) and urban share (1960–2025, 66 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.80); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.01). 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) (1990–2025, 36 years): levels are barely related (r = −0.29); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.28).
Forecasts vs actual
Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 12 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in none; median gap −23%.
Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 1.35 (+30% vs 2025), 2100 — 1.45 (+40% vs 2025); low variant for 2100: 0.95.
Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 12 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in none; median gap −29%.
The UN 1998 projection did not expect today's level (17.6k, 2025) before its horizon ended (2047).
The UN 2022 projection expected today's level (17.6k, 2025) only around 2069: reality is 44 years ahead of it.
National statistics for 2025: 17.6k, 20% below the UN 2024 medium variant (22.1k) and below its 95% interval.
Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 16.2k (−8% vs 2025), 2100 — 7.41k (−58% vs 2025); low variant for 2100: 1.71k.
Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 8 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 4; median gap −6.2%.
The UN 2002 projection expected today's level (2.85M, 2023) only around 2034: reality is 11 years ahead of it.
The UN 2008 projection expected today's level (2.85M, 2023) only around 2034: reality is 11 years ahead of it.
Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 2.26M (−21% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.21M (−58% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 741k.
GDP growth: IMF next-year forecasts (36 editions, 2007–2024). On average the outcome was 0.7 pp below the forecast; below it in 42% of cases; typical error ±2.5 pp. The biggest miss was for 2009: IMF, April 2008 expected 5.5%, the outcome was −14.5%.
GDP growth: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2026 — 2.9%, 2028 — 2.6%, 2031 — 2.4%.
Inflation: IMF next-year forecasts (36 editions, 2007–2024). On average the outcome was 1.4 pp above the forecast; below it in 39% of cases; typical error ±3 pp. The biggest miss was for 2022: IMF, April 2021 expected 1.9%, the outcome was 18.9%.
Inflation: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2026 — 4%, 2028 — 2.7%, 2031 — 2.5%.
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
3.43M
2.85M
−16.7%
UN 2000
2023
23 years
3.45M
2.85M
−17.2%
UN 2002
2023
21 years
3.07M
2.85M
−7.2%
UN 2004
2023
19 years
3.17M
2.85M
−9.8%
UN 2006
2023
17 years
3.14M
2.85M
−9%
UN 2008
2023
15 years
3.01M
2.85M
−5.3%
UN 2010
2023
13 years
3.15M
2.85M
−9.5%
UN 2012
2023
11 years
2.91M
2.85M
−1.8%
UN 2015
2023
8 years
2.75M
2.85M
+3.7%
UN 2017
2023
6 years
2.81M
2.85M
+1.4%
UN 2019
2023
4 years
2.64M
2.85M
+8.2%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
2.72M
2.85M
+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
2020–2025
24 years
31.5k
21.3k
−32.4%
UN 2000
2020–2025
22 years
30.8k
21.3k
−30.9%
UN 2002
2020–2025
20 years
28.2k
21.3k
−24.4%
UN 2004
2020–2025
18 years
28.6k
21.3k
−25.6%
UN 2006
2020–2025
16 years
28.4k
21.3k
−25%
UN 2008
2020–2025
14 years
30.2k
21.3k
−29.5%
UN 2010
2020–2025
12 years
34.8k
21.3k
−38.7%
UN 2012
2020–2025
10 years
32.2k
21.3k
−33.9%
UN 2015
2020–2025
8 years
29.8k
21.3k
−28.5%
UN 2017
2020–2025
6 years
30.2k
21.3k
−29.6%
UN 2019
2020–2025
4 years
26.1k
21.3k
−18.5%
UN 2022
2025
3 years
24.3k
17.6k
−27.3%
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
2020–2025
24 years
1.60
1.24
−22.2%
UN 2000
2020–2025
22 years
1.48
1.24
−16.3%
UN 2002
2020–2025
20 years
1.49
1.24
−16.7%
UN 2004
2020–2025
18 years
1.44
1.24
−13.5%
UN 2006
2020–2025
16 years
1.41
1.24
−11.7%
UN 2008
2020–2025
14 years
1.53
1.24
−18.9%
UN 2010
2020–2025
12 years
1.64
1.24
−24.4%
UN 2012
2020–2025
10 years
1.63
1.24
−24.1%
UN 2015
2020–2025
8 years
1.68
1.24
−26.2%
UN 2017
2020–2025
6 years
1.71
1.24
−27.4%
UN 2019
2020–2025
4 years
1.70
1.24
−27.1%
UN 2022
2025
3 years
1.64
1.04
−36.4%
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
−0.7 pp
2.5 pp
42%
Inflation
36
+1.4 pp
3 pp
39%
Unemployment rate
29
−0.4 pp
0.9 pp
79%
Government gross debt
26
−0.3 pp
4.1 pp
62%
All indicators
Demography
Population
2.85M persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.