More oil consumption links to less female primary education
Comparing Oil consumption, per capita with Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per unit of GDP across 183 countries, 2024–2025.
- Rank correlation
- -0.89
- Holding size constant
- -0.84
- Countries compared
- 183
- Period
- 2024–2025
What might link these
The relationship between oil consumption and female primary education enrollment might be influenced by a country's economic structure, with oil-rich countries potentially having different priorities in education. A careful reader should consider the role of cultural and societal factors as likely confounders. The correlation suggests a complex relationship that requires further exploration.
Why this is not proof of anything
This is a correlation across countries, not an experiment. It cannot show that either indicator causes the other, and both may simply follow a third thing. This correlation could mislead by implying a direct causal link between oil consumption and education policy, when in fact other factors like government spending priorities or societal values may be driving the relationship.
The second figure above repeats the measurement with national population and income held constant. It is the more conservative number: a relationship that largely disappears there was mostly telling you that larger, richer countries have more of most things.
How this was measured
Both indicators were ranked across every country reporting each, and the two rankings compared — ranks rather than raw values, because a handful of very large countries can otherwise manufacture a relationship on their own. The calculation is arithmetic over figures already published on this site; the commentary above is drafted from the two indicator names and the resulting coefficients.