Young population linked to lower reserves
Comparing Population ages 0-14, total, per capita with Reserve tranche position, SDR, per capita across 189 countries, 2025–2025.
- Rank correlation
- -0.60
- Holding size constant
- -0.45
- Countries compared
- 189
- Period
- 2025–2025
What might link these
The relationship between a younger population and lower reserve tranche position might be driven by countries with younger populations having different economic priorities or less established financial systems. A careful reader should consider education expenditure as a potential confounder. The correlation could also be influenced by various socioeconomic factors.
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 relationship between demographic factors and financial reserves, when in fact it may be driven by underlying economic or political 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.