By Rachel Mitchell Text Copyright 2018 by Rachel Mitchell

While = whereas [Conjunction] (used to indicate a contrast).
By 2020, the number of barrels of oil consumed daily in the US is anticipated to fall to about 5 billion, while consumption is expected to decrease to 2 billion barrels in Western Europe.
While there were 70,000 prisoners in Australia in 1930, the number went down to about 40,000 in 1950.
Forecast [Verb] (to predict or estimate (a future event or trend) based on the information that you have now).
The overall sales for both companies are forecast to grow.
Until September, sales are predicted to remain unchanged at this level, after which they are estimated to rise steadily to roughly 1 million pairs in November.
Stable [Adjective] (not likely to change, remaining constant; firmly fixed).
While consumption fell in Western Europe/Japan by 2015, and remained stable in the US, there was an increase in oil consumption in China and the Middle East.
In spite of a slight increase in 2005, oil production in Iran remained relatively stable at more than 2 million barrels each day.
In preference to [Expression] (instead of; rather than someone or something).
Overall, cars are used in preference to other means of transport.
Because he had more experience, he was chosen for the job in preference to his brother.
Estimate [Verb] (roughly/approximately calculate without knowing the number exactly).
The forecast figure for UEA in 1995 was over 2 million barrels per day, compared with around 4 million barrels in the other two countries.
Police estimated that the number of people at the event was 15,000.
Anticipated [Verb] (expected; estimated).
It is estimated that sales of jeans will increase from 200,000 pairs in May to approximately 600,000 in December.
It is anticipated that the house will sell tomorrow.
Overtaking [Verb] (become greater in number, or amount than something else).
Nuclear power is overtaking oil as the main source of energy worldwide.
Over 35% of travellers used cars to go to work in this city in 2000, overtaking the figures for bus users (16%).
Steady [Adjective] (not changing; firmly fixed).
There was a steady rise in the spending on books in Italy, and this finally reached a figure of $65 million in 2000.
Although the percentage remained the lowest among the age groups, the proportion of the over 30s who went to the cinema witnessed a steady increase to 19% in 2005.
Vanished [Verb] (disappeared suddenly).
Overall, the number of houses rose significantly, whereas the lands for agricultural purposes vanished.
I looked everywhere for my cell phone, but I never found it - it seemed to have vanished!
Cut down [Verb] (a decrease or reduction of the size, amount or number of something).
His health will improve if he cuts down on cigarettes.
It is difficult to lose weight if you don’t cut down on the amount you eat.