Countries with more SDRs import more per capita
Comparing Special drawing rights per domestic currency (End-of-period (EoP)) with Imports of goods and services (current US$), per capita across 152 countries, 2022–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.60
- Holding size constant
- +0.45
- Countries compared
- 152
- Period
- 2022–2025
What might link these
The relationship between special drawing rights and imports per capita might be linked through international trade facilitation, as SDRs can ease foreign exchange transactions. However, a careful reader should consider the potential impact of a country's trade agreements and policies as a likely confounder. The correlation does not necessarily imply a direct causal link between the two indicators.
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 overlooking other factors influencing trade, such as economic stability and global market conditions.
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.