Older men correlate with consumption expenditure
Comparing Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) with Population ages 55-59, male, per unit of GDP across 182 countries, 2011–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.62
- Holding size constant
- +0.55
- Countries compared
- 182
- Period
- 2011–2025
What might link these
The relationship between the proportion of males aged 55-59 relative to GDP and household consumption expenditure might be linked through retirement spending patterns or societal age structures. A careful reader should consider education levels as a potential confounder. The correlation could reflect broader demographic trends.
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 these indicators when other demographic or economic factors might 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.