Industry value added links to lower GDP per capita
Comparing GDP (current US$), per capita with Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP across 204 countries, 2011–2025.
- Rank correlation
- -0.60
- Holding size constant
- -0.47
- Countries compared
- 204
- Period
- 2011–2025
What might link these
The relationship between industry value added and lower GDP per capita might be driven by differences in economic structures across countries, with some relying more heavily on industry. A careful reader should consider the potential impact of education levels as a confounder. The correlation suggests a complex relationship that warrants 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 industry value added and GDP per capita, when in fact other factors like education or technological development 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.