Export measures correlate strongly
Comparing Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita with Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita across 164 countries, 2025–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.91
- Holding size constant
- +0.87
- Countries compared
- 164
- Period
- 2025–2025
What might link these
The strong correlation between merchandise exports and total exports of goods and services per capita might be due to overall trade openness and economic policies. A careful reader should consider that trade agreements and global market conditions could be influencing both indicators. Education level could be a likely confounder, as it might affect a country's ability to produce and export goods and services.
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 the two export measures, when in fact they might be driven by 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.