Urbanization linked to differing demographic profiles among older males relative to economic output.
Comparing Urban population (% of total population) with Population ages 50-54, male, per unit of GDP across 211 countries, 2025–2025.
- Rank correlation
- -0.61
- Holding size constant
- -0.53
- Countries compared
- 211
- Period
- 2025–2025
What might link these
A higher percentage of a country's population living in urban areas is associated with a lower ratio of males aged 50-54 per unit of GDP. This could reflect a variety of factors, such as differing labor demands in urban versus rural economies, or variations in migration patterns within a country. However, the exact mechanisms are not clear and could be influenced by underlying societal structures.
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 relationship does not imply causation and may be influenced by unmeasured factors such as healthcare access and social support systems.
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.