Older men and younger women populations correlate across countries, even controlling for wealth and size.
Comparing Population ages 70-74, male, per unit of GDP with Population ages 15-19, female, per capita across 209 countries, 2025–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.65
- Holding size constant
- +0.51
- Countries compared
- 209
- Period
- 2025–2025
What might link these
This suggests a potential demographic link, possibly related to historical migration patterns, differing birth rates across age groups, or societal factors affecting gender-specific population structures. However, the correlation is weakened when controlling for GDP and population, indicating these factors play a significant role.
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. While statistically significant, the relationship may be driven by unmeasured factors influencing both age-specific gender demographics and economic development.
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.