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): 2.45 in 1950 → 0.98 in 2023 (−60%). Thresholds: below 2.1 since 1987, below 1.5 since 2014, below 1.0 since 2022. The trend broke around 1989 and 1997: −0.01 → −0.08 → 0 a year.
Births: 854k in 1950 → 212k in 2023 (−75%). Peak: 892k in 1960; the latest value is 76% lower. The trend broke around 1989 and 1995: −2.65k → −39.9k → −4.43k a year.
Population: 37.3M in 1950 → 37.7M in 2023 (+1%). Peak: 52.4M in 1993; the latest value is 28% lower. The trend broke around 1968 and 1991: +538k → +244k → −318k a year.
Internet: 0% in 1990 → 82.5% in 2024 (+82 pp). Thresholds: above 10% since 2008, above 50% since 2016. Fastest growth in 2008–2013: 11% → 41%.
Urban share: 47.4% in 1960 → 69.6% in 2025 (+22 pp). Threshold: above 50% since 1964. The trend broke around 1989: change slowed down (+0.55 → +0.07 a year).
GDP per person (PPP): 22,816 PPP dollars in 1990 → 16,155 PPP dollars in 2025 (−29%). Low: 9,646 PPP dollars in 1998; +67% since then. The trend broke around 1997 and 2007: −2,080 → +986 → −100 a year.
GDP growth: on average −9.3% in the 1990s, 4.7% in the 2000s, 0.1% in the 2010s, −4.1% in the 2020s. Lowest: −28.8% in 2022; highest: 11.8% in 2004.
Inflation: on average 917.8% in the 1990s, 13.2% in the 2000s, 12.6% in the 2010s, 10.7% in the 2020s. Lowest: −0.3% in 2013; highest: 4,735% in 1993.
What changed at the same time
The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1988–1998: 2.04 → 1.21. Over the same years: births 758k → 423k; population 51.7M → 50.4M; internet 0.3% (1998); urban share 66.6% → 67.6%; GDP per person (PPP) 9,646 PPP dollars (1998); GDP growth −1.9% (1998); inflation 10.6% (1998).
Over the last 10 years (2013–2023): fertility (TFR) 1.52 → 0.98; births 515k → 212k; population 46.1M → 37.7M; internet 41% → 81.6%; urban share 68.9% → 69.5%; GDP per person (PPP) 17,889 PPP dollars → 15,917 PPP dollars; GDP growth 0% → 5.5%; inflation −0.3% → 12.9%.
How the indicators relate
Fertility (TFR) and internet (1990–2023, 32 years): levels are barely related (r = −0.29); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.25).
Fertility (TFR) and urban share (1960–2023, 64 years): levels are strongly related, in opposite directions (r = −0.75); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.27). 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 noticeably related, in the same direction (r = 0.58); year-to-year changes are related too (r = 0.70). Changes line up from year to year too, which is more than a shared trend.
Forecasts vs actual
Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 8 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 3; median gap −15%.
Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 1.14 (+17% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.30 (+33% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 0.80.
Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 6 of 11 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 5; median gap −12%.
The UN 2000 projection did not expect today's level (212k, 2023) before its horizon ended (2047).
The UN 2019 projection did not expect today's level (212k, 2023) before its horizon ended (2097).
Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 188k (−11% vs 2023), 2100 — 79.1k (−63% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 15.7k.
Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 11 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 1; median gap −11%.
The UN 2000 projection expected today's level (37.7M, 2023) only around 2030: reality is 7 years ahead of it.
The UN 2019 projection expected today's level (37.7M, 2023) only around 2042: reality is 19 years ahead of it.
Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 32M (−15% vs 2023), 2100 — 15.2M (−60% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 9.22M.
GDP growth: IMF next-year forecasts (30 editions, 2007–2023). On average the outcome was 5.4 pp below the forecast; below it in 63% of cases; typical error ±6.1 pp. The biggest miss was for 2022: IMF, October 2021 expected 3.6%, the outcome was −28.8%.
GDP growth: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2025 — 1.8%, 2027 — 3.5%, 2031 — 3.6%.
Inflation: IMF next-year forecasts (32 editions, 2007–2024). On average the outcome was 2.6 pp above the forecast; below it in 44% of cases; typical error ±5.9 pp. The biggest miss was for 2015: IMF, October 2014 expected 14%, the outcome was 48.7%.
Inflation: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2026 — 6.1%, 2028 — 5.7%, 2031 — 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
46.2M
37.7M
−18.3%
UN 2000
2023
23 years
40.3M
37.7M
−6.5%
UN 2002
2023
21 years
41.5M
37.7M
−9.1%
UN 2004
2023
19 years
38.2M
37.7M
−1.4%
UN 2006
2023
17 years
40.6M
37.7M
−7.1%
UN 2008
2023
15 years
42.2M
37.7M
−10.5%
UN 2010
2023
13 years
42.3M
37.7M
−10.8%
UN 2012
2023
11 years
42.2M
37.7M
−10.6%
UN 2015
2023
8 years
42.9M
37.7M
−12.1%
UN 2017
2023
6 years
42.9M
37.7M
−12.1%
UN 2019
2023
4 years
42.9M
37.7M
−12.1%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
36.7M
37.7M
+2.7%
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
443k
390k
−12.1%
UN 2000
2015–2020
18 years
353k
390k
+10.6%
UN 2002
2015–2020
16 years
364k
390k
+7.1%
UN 2004
2015–2020
14 years
346k
390k
+12.6%
UN 2006
2015–2020
12 years
367k
390k
+6.2%
UN 2008
2015–2020
10 years
463k
390k
−15.7%
UN 2010
2015–2020
8 years
464k
390k
−15.9%
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
457k
390k
−14.8%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
472k
390k
−17.4%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
462k
390k
−15.5%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
184k
212k
+15%
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
1.52
1.29
−15.3%
UN 2000
2015–2020
18 years
1.25
1.29
+3%
UN 2002
2015–2020
16 years
1.28
1.29
+0.6%
UN 2004
2015–2020
14 years
1.25
1.29
+3%
UN 2006
2015–2020
12 years
1.29
1.29
−0.3%
UN 2008
2015–2020
10 years
1.57
1.29
−18.2%
UN 2010
2015–2020
8 years
1.57
1.29
−17.7%
UN 2012
2015–2020
6 years
1.52
1.29
−15.2%
UN 2015
2015–2020
2 years
1.56
1.29
−17.2%
UN 2017
2015–2020
0 years
1.56
1.29
−17.3%
UN 2022
2023
1 year
1.28
0.98
−23.7%
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
30
−5.4 pp
6.1 pp
63%
Inflation
32
+2.6 pp
5.9 pp
44%
Unemployment rate
20
0 pp
0.8 pp
55%
Government gross debt
22
−3.5 pp
14.7 pp
59%
All indicators
Demography
Population
37.7M persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.