Young male population and rural living closely linked across nations, even after controlling for economy.
Comparing Rural population, per unit of GDP with Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP across 212 countries, 2011–2025.
- Rank correlation
- +0.94
- Holding size constant
- +0.91
- Countries compared
- 212
- Period
- 2011–2025
What might link these
A high proportion of young children, particularly males, might correlate with higher birth rates and potentially larger family sizes in rural settings. However, this strong link could also be influenced by factors like rural healthcare access and economic opportunities, which may differ significantly between countries.
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 is a correlation and does not imply that one indicator directly causes the other, as other underlying demographic and socio-economic factors are likely at play.
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.