Exports and mobile subscriptions linked
Comparing Exports of goods and services (current US$) with Mobile cellular subscriptions, gaps filled across 182 countries, 2022–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.65
- Holding size constant
- +0.44
- Countries compared
- 182
- Period
- 2022–2025
What might link these
The relationship between exports and mobile subscriptions might be driven by economic development, as countries with stronger economies tend to have more exports and better communication infrastructure. A careful reader should consider the role of urbanization as a potential confounder. The correlation could also be influenced by other factors such as trade agreements and technological advancements.
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 mobile subscriptions and export capabilities, when in fact they may both be driven by broader economic 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.