Young males per GDP linked to exports
Comparing Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) with Population ages 20-24, male, per unit of GDP across 188 countries, 2011–2025.
- Rank correlation
- -0.56
- Holding size constant
- -0.40
- Countries compared
- 188
- Period
- 2011–2025
What might link these
The relationship between Indicator A and Indicator B might be influenced by factors such as education and workforce participation among young males, which could impact a country's export capabilities. A careful reader should be cautious about assuming a direct link between these indicators. Education level is a likely confounder that could affect both indicators.
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 because it may be driven by underlying factors such as economic development stage rather than a direct relationship between the two indicators.
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.