GNI and expenditure linked
Comparing GNI (current LCU) with Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP across 178 countries, 2011–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.74
- Holding size constant
- +0.85
- Countries compared
- 178
- Period
- 2011–2025
What might link these
The relationship between gross national expenditure and GNI might be driven by a country's overall economic activity, with a likely confounder being the country's income inequality. A careful reader should consider that expenditure is a component of GDP, which is already related to GNI. This relationship could be influenced by various economic factors.
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 the two indicators, when in fact they might be driven by underlying economic 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.