Demographic stage
Where a population sits in the demographic transition, from high births and deaths to low births and a shrinking count.
The demographic transition model (Warren Thompson, 1929; Frank Notestein, 1945), with the fifth "declining" stage later authors added for countries where deaths now exceed births.
Stages describe where a country sits against its own past and other countries. They are not ratings: no stage is better or worse than another, and Palanor never sorts countries by one.
Publishing stages · 71 countries · yearly, 1990 on · method v1, pre-registered 2026-10-22
Passes the pre-registered episode check: 6 of 6 episodes read as expected (0 missed, 0 untestable).
The stages
1. High stationary
Births and deaths are both high, so the population grows slowly.
2. Early expanding
Deaths have fallen while births stay high: the population grows fast.
3. Late expanding
Births are falling toward deaths; growth slows and the working-age share swells.
4. Low stationary
Births and deaths are both low and close together; the population is near flat and ageing.
5. Declining
Deaths outnumber births: without migration the population shrinks.
Costa Rica
Country Dossier →Low stationary99% · coverage 100% · as of 2025-12-31
Low stationary. 4 of 4 indicators that speak to this stage sit at or near its range. Births per 1,000 people reads 9.99, within 9.0 – 17.0.
| Evidence | Value | As of | Reads as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Births per 1,000 people | 9.99 | 2024 | stage 4 |
| Deaths per 1,000 people | 5.57 | 2024 | — |
| Natural increase per 1,000 (births − deaths) | 4.43 | 2024 | stage 1 |
| Births per woman | 1.32 | 2024 | stage 4 |
| Aged 65 and over, % | 12.8% | 2025 | stage 4 |
Where each country has been
One row per country, alphabetical; one cell per year, shaded by the leading stage. Hatched cells were withheld: too little of the evidence was published to place the country. Select a country for its reading and evidence.
| Country | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | Latest | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australia | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Austria | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bahrain | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgium | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bolivia | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brazil | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bulgaria | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canada | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chile | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colombia | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Costa Rica | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Croatia | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cyprus | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Czechia | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Denmark | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DR Congo | Early expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ecuador | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Egypt | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Estonia | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ethiopia | Early expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finland | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| France | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Germany | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Greece | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hungary | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iceland | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| India | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indonesia | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iran | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iraq | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ireland | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Israel | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Italy | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Japan | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jordan | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kuwait | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Latvia | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lithuania | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Luxembourg | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malta | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mexico | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Namibia | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Zealand | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norway | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oman | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Panama | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paraguay | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peru | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Poland | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portugal | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Qatar | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Romania | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Russia | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saudi Arabia | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sierra Leone | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slovakia | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slovenia | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Africa | Late expanding 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Korea | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spain | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sweden | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Switzerland | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turkey | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United Arab Emirates | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States | Low stationary 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Uruguay | Declining 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zambia | Early expanding 2025 |
How it is read
Each indicator has a range for every stage it speaks to, in its own units. A value inside a range counts fully for that stage and less the further outside it falls. Stage fits become probabilities; the leading stage is published only when at least 60% of the indicator weight is readable and fresh, a strong stage’s named evidence agrees (gates), and a challenger leads the current stage by 15 points before the call changes.
| Indicator | Weight | High stationary | Early expanding | Late expanding | Low stationary | Declining |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Births per 1,000 people | 25% | > 35.0 | > 30.0 | 16.0 – 32.0 | 9.0 – 17.0 | < 10.0 |
| Deaths per 1,000 people | 13% | > 18.0 | 9.0 – 20.0 | — | — | > 9.5 |
| Natural increase per 1,000 (births − deaths) | 25% | < 12.0 | > 20.0 | 7.0 – 22.0 | 0.0 – 8.0 | < 0.0 |
| Births per woman | 25% | > 5.0 | > 4.0 | 2.1 – 4.2 | 1.3 – 2.3 | < 1.6 |
| Aged 65 and over, % | 13% | < 4.0% | < 5.0% | 3.5% – 10.0% | 9.0% – 22.0% | > 16.0% |
Gates: High stationary needs deaths per 1,000 people at or near its range; Declining needs natural increase per 1,000 (births − deaths) at or near its range.
The publish gate
Before any reading was computed, Palanor named known episodes and the stages they should read as. A schema publishes stages only if at least two episodes read as expected and hits outnumber misses. Misses stay on this page.
| Episode | Expected | Read (years) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan, 2010–2024 | Declining | Declining 15 | hit |
| Japan, 1995–2004 | Low stationary | Low stationary 10 | hit |
| South Korea, 2021–2024 | Declining | Declining 4 | hit |
| Ethiopia, 1990–2005 | Early expanding | Early expanding 16 | hit |
| India, 2000–2020 | Late expanding | Late expanding 21 | hit |
| United States, 2000–2024 | Low stationary | Low stationary 25 | hit |
What it cannot see
Natural increase leaves out migration, so a country in the Declining stage can still be growing. The World Bank’s figures for recent years are UN estimates that are revised every two years.
References
- Warren S. Thompson, Population (1929).
- Frank W. Notestein, Population: The Long View (1945).
- Ronald Lee, The Demographic Transition: Three Centuries of Fundamental Change (2003).
- United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024 (2024).
Recomputed weekly · last 2026-10-22 · signals country.<iso3>.schema.demographic.stage and .position · How Country Schemas work