Oil and gas production correlate
Comparing Gas production, per capita with Oil production, per capita across 202 countries, 2024–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.84
- Holding size constant
- +0.80
- Countries compared
- 202
- Period
- 2024–2025
What might link these
The strong correlation between oil and gas production per capita might be due to geological factors, as countries with large oil reserves often also have significant gas deposits. A careful reader should be cautious about assuming a direct relationship between the two, considering potential confounders like overall energy infrastructure. Technology and extraction methods could also play a role.
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 causal link between oil and gas production, when in fact it may be driven by underlying geological or 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.