Household spending relative to GDP linked to population size, after controlling for GDP.
Comparing Total population (thousands), per unit of GDP with Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP across 169 countries, 2018–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.56
- Holding size constant
- +0.44
- Countries compared
- 169
- Period
- 2018–2025
What might link these
Higher household consumption as a share of GDP, even after accounting for population and overall GDP, might suggest more developed economies or those with stronger domestic demand. However, the relationship is not strong, and the controls themselves (population and GDP) are fundamental drivers of economic activity.
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. The observed relationship is weakened after controlling for population and GDP, suggesting these factors play a significant, potentially confounding, role in the initial correlation.
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.