Learn Russian: Однако ряд экспертов считали, что демографический кризис скоро закончится. - However, a number of experts considered that the demographic crisis would end soon.

Однако ряд экспертов считали, что демографический кризис скоро закончится.

However, a number of experts considered that the demographic crisis would end soon.

Breakdown of Однако ряд экспертов считали, что демографический кризис скоро закончится.

to count; to consider

Questions & Answers about Однако ряд экспертов считали, что демографический кризис скоро закончится.

Why is the verb считали in the plural when the head of the subject phrase is ряд (a grammatically singular noun)?

When collective nouns expressing quantity like ряд (a number of), большинство (majority), or часть (part) are followed by an animate noun in the genitive plural (here, экспертов), the verb is usually plural. This emphasizes that multiple individual people performed the action, rather than treating them as a single faceless block.

Would it be grammatically incorrect to use a singular verb here instead?

It wouldn't be strictly incorrect, but it's much less natural in this sentence. If you used a singular verb, it would be the masculine считал to match the grammatical gender of ряд (unlike большинство, which takes a neuter singular verb). However, because 'experts' are animate people and 'considering' is an active, individual thought process, Russian strongly prefers the plural считали.

The English translation says the crisis 'would end', but the Russian verb закончится is in the future tense ('will end'). Why?

Russian does not use 'sequence of tenses' (backshifting) for reported speech. In English, because the main verb is past tense ('considered'), the subordinate verb shifts to the past or conditional ('would end'). In Russian, you keep the exact tense the experts originally thought in: 'The crisis will end soon' (кризис скоро закончится).

I know ряд usually translates to 'row'. How does it mean 'a number of' here?