GDP per capita linked to coniferous sawnwood imports
Comparing GDP per capita (current US$) with Sawnwood, coniferous — Import quantity, per capita across 179 countries, 2024–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.63
- Holding size constant
- +0.48
- Countries compared
- 179
- Period
- 2024–2025
What might link these
The relationship between GDP per capita and coniferous sawnwood imports per capita might be driven by the demand for wood products in construction and furniture, which could be higher in wealthier countries. However, a careful reader should be cautious about other factors that could influence this relationship, such as forest cover and wood production capabilities. A likely confounder could be the level of urbanization.
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 wealth and sawnwood imports, when in fact it may be driven by other underlying factors.
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.