More fixed phones linked to lower working-age population per GDP unit
Comparing Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) with Population aged 25-64 years (thousands), per unit of GDP across 207 countries, 2022–2025.
- Rank correlation
- -0.77
- Holding size constant
- -0.69
- Countries compared
- 207
- Period
- 2022–2025
What might link these
Wealthier or more developed countries may have older populations and higher fixed-line infrastructure, while younger, high-GDP nations might rely on mobile phones. A careful reader should note that correlation does not imply causation—urbanization or internet adoption could be confounders.
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 might reflect broader development patterns rather than a direct link between the two indicators.
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.