GDP relates to imports per unit of GDP
Comparing GDP (constant LCU) with Imports of goods and services (constant LCU), per unit of GDP across 174 countries, 2011–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.67
- Holding size constant
- +0.86
- Countries compared
- 174
- Period
- 2011–2025
What might link these
A possible link between the two indicators could be a country's level of economic development, as more developed economies tend to have higher GDP and more complex import structures. However, a careful reader should be cautious about the potential impact of trade agreements and regional economic partnerships, which could be a likely confounder. The relationship might also be influenced by other factors such as economic policies and global market 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 suggesting a direct relationship between GDP and imports, when in fact it may be driven by other underlying 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.