GNI relative to GDP strongly linked to export levels per person
Comparing GNI (current LCU), per unit of GDP with Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per capita across 182 countries, 2011–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.67
- Holding size constant
- +0.75
- Countries compared
- 182
- Period
- 2011–2025
What might link these
A higher proportion of GNI to GDP might suggest a greater emphasis on the production of goods and services for export, contributing to higher export volumes per capita. However, it's crucial to remember that this is a correlation, not a cause. Both indicators are expressed in local currency and may be influenced by exchange rate fluctuations or national accounting practices.
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. The correlation could be influenced by factors such as trade policies, global demand, or the specific composition of a country's economy.
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.