Older women linked to government spending
Comparing Population ages 75-79, female, per capita with General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per capita across 177 countries, 2025–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.72
- Holding size constant
- +0.62
- Countries compared
- 177
- Period
- 2025–2025
What might link these
The correlation might be due to countries with aging populations having more healthcare and social services, increasing government expenditure. A careful reader should consider that urbanization could be a confounder, as it affects both population demographics and government spending patterns. The relationship could be influenced by various factors beyond just the indicators measured.
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 link between the two indicators without accounting for other underlying factors that drive government spending.
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.