Young population linked to consumption
Comparing Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) with Population ages 0-14, total, per unit of GDP across 181 countries, 2011–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.59
- Holding size constant
- +0.50
- Countries compared
- 181
- Period
- 2011–2025
What might link these
The relationship between a country's young population and household consumption expenditure may be driven by the fact that families with younger children tend to spend more on necessities like food, education, and healthcare. A careful reader should consider that urbanization rates could be a confounder, as urban areas often have different consumption patterns and younger population demographics. The correlation persists even after controlling for population and GDP, suggesting a more nuanced relationship.
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 young population and consumption, when in fact other factors like government policies or cultural norms 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.