Older men linked to GDP per capita
Comparing GDP (current US$), per capita with Population ages 65-69, male, per capita across 209 countries, 2025–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.80
- Holding size constant
- +0.73
- Countries compared
- 209
- Period
- 2025–2025
What might link these
The correlation might be driven by countries with more developed economies having higher life expectancies and thus larger proportions of older males. A careful reader should consider that education level could be a confounder, as it often correlates with both economic development and healthcare quality. This relationship does not necessarily imply causation.
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 link between older male population and economic output, when in fact both may be driven by other underlying 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.