Older men linked to slower workforce growth
Comparing Population aged 25-64 years (thousands), annual growth rate with Population ages 65-69, male, per capita across 211 countries, 2025–2025.
- Rank correlation
- -0.88
- Holding size constant
- -0.85
- Countries compared
- 211
- Period
- 2025–2025
What might link these
The correlation might be driven by countries with aging populations experiencing slower workforce growth due to decreased labor force participation. A careful reader should consider the potential impact of retirement age policies and healthcare systems on this relationship. Life expectancy 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 relationship between the two indicators, when in fact, it may be influenced by various underlying demographic and socioeconomic 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.