Young males per GDP unit linked to worker output
Comparing Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP (ILO modelled estimates) with Population ages 25-29, male, per unit of GDP across 181 countries, 2024–2027.
- Rank correlation
- -0.94
- Holding size constant
- -0.90
- Countries compared
- 181
- Period
- 2024–2027
What might link these
The relationship might be driven by differences in education or training levels among young males, affecting overall worker productivity. A careful reader should consider the potential impact of cultural or institutional factors on both indicators. Education level could be a likely confounder.
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 other factors like education or institutional differences might 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.