Correlations between world statistics

Every indicator on this site is compared with every other. These are the 488 relationships that survived testing — measured across countries, then re-measured with population and national income held constant, so that a pair which only reflects country size is discarded rather than published.

Read these carefully

A correlation shows that two numbers move together across countries. It does not show that one causes the other. Both may follow something else entirely, and with tens of thousands of indicators some pairs will line up by chance. Each page below states how many countries were compared and how much of the relationship survived controlling for size — the smaller that second number, the more sceptical you should be.

Imports linked to foreign exchange reserves
Goods imports (BoP, current US$) vs Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR)

+0.86 across 167 countries · +0.68 once size is held constant · 2010–2025
Countries with more seniors tend to have higher GDP per person
GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) vs Population ages 65 and above, total, per capita

+0.75 across 207 countries · +0.67 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher manure emissions in agriculture are strongly linked to higher methane emissions.
Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - IPCC Agriculture vs Manure applied to Soils — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5)

+0.90 across 167 countries · +0.67 once size is held constant · 2023–2050
Refugee rates link to young female population
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or... vs Population ages 10-14, female, per unit of GDP

+0.76 across 196 countries · +0.67 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Higher youth female population linked to lower elderly share
Population ages 65 and above, total vs Age population, age 12, female, interpolated

+0.86 across 212 countries · -0.67 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Countries with higher manure emissions also tend to have higher enteric fermentation emissions.
Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Enteric Fermentation vs Manure Management — Emissions (CH4)

+0.89 across 167 countries · +0.66 once size is held constant · 2023–2050
Countries with higher manure emissions tend to have higher enteric fermentation emissions.
Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Enteric Fermentation vs Manure Management — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5)

+0.89 across 167 countries · +0.66 once size is held constant · 2023–2050
Countries with older male populations tend to import more commercial services per person.
Population ages 65 and above, male (% of male population) vs Commercial service imports (current US$), per capita

+0.71 across 184 countries · +0.66 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Taxes link to domestic savings
Taxes less subsidies on products (current LCU) vs Gross domestic savings (current LCU), per capita

+0.62 across 169 countries · +0.66 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Female age 0 population linked to consumption expenditure
Final consumption expenditure (current US$) vs Age population, age 00, female, interpolated

+0.57 across 178 countries · -0.66 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Wealthier countries import more graphic paper per person and have higher old-age dependency ratios.
Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population) vs Graphic papers — Import value, per capita

+0.75 across 181 countries · +0.66 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Older males linked to exports
Population ages 65 and above, male, per capita vs Exports of goods and services (current US$), per capita

+0.74 across 184 countries · +0.66 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Fewer fixed phones as mobiles rise
Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) vs Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP

-0.75 across 203 countries · -0.66 once size is held constant · 2022–2024
Agriculture value added links to imports per capita
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant... vs Imports of goods and services (current LCU), per capita

+0.61 across 174 countries · +0.66 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Child growth rate linked to young female population
Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14),... vs Population ages 0-14, female, per capita

+0.72 across 185 countries · +0.66 once size is held constant · 2030–2030
Young population linked to total growth rate
Population aged 14 years or younger (thousands), per capita vs Total population (thousands), annual growth rate

+0.71 across 211 countries · +0.65 once size is held constant · 2020–2025
Higher savings per person linked to lower import reserves per GDP
Total reserves in months of imports, per unit of GDP vs Gross domestic savings (current US$), per capita

-0.58 across 148 countries · -0.65 once size is held constant · 2018–2025
Older men linked to slower youth growth
Population ages 65 and above, male (% of male population) vs Population aged 14 years or younger (thousands), annual growth rate

-0.69 across 211 countries · -0.65 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher agricultural output per GDP linked to lower per capita gold reserves.
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current... vs Total reserves (gold at national valuation) (SDR), per capita

-0.76 across 170 countries · -0.65 once size is held constant · 1990–2025
Fewer young girls linked to more reserves
Reserves excluding gold (SDR), per capita vs Population ages 0-14, female, per capita

-0.73 across 171 countries · -0.65 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Countries with competitive elections tend to score higher on women's civil liberties.
Competitive elections vs Women's Civil Liberties Index

+0.71 across 172 countries · +0.65 once size is held constant · 1948–2025
Government spending grows with national expenditure
Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate vs General government final consumption expenditure (current...

+0.65 across 179 countries · +0.65 once size is held constant · 2004–2025
Countries with more young people have fewer reserves.
Reserves excluding gold (SDR), per capita vs Population ages 0-14, total, per capita

-0.72 across 171 countries · -0.65 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Egalitarian political institutions strongly correlate with liberal democracy scores
Egalitarian Political Institutions Index vs Liberal democracy row, gaps filled

+0.73 across 173 countries · +0.65 once size is held constant · 1948–2025
Female 40-44 growth rate linked to female 50-54 population
Population ages 50-54, female, per capita vs Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate

-0.69 across 214 countries · -0.64 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Elderly female population and refugee numbers show a moderate association, even after accounting for GDP and country size.
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or... vs Population ages 65 and above, female, per unit of GDP

+0.74 across 196 countries · +0.64 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Trade (% of GDP) strongly correlates with merchandise imports (% of GDP)
Trade (% of GDP) vs Value of imported goods as a share of GDP

+0.71 across 182 countries · +0.64 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Young female population shows a moderate link with older female population per GDP.
Population ages 50-54, female, per unit of GDP vs Population ages 00-04, female, per capita

+0.74 across 211 countries · +0.64 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Female population 55-59 linked to reserve funds
Reserve tranche position, SDR, per capita vs Population ages 55-59, female, per unit of GDP

-0.75 across 187 countries · -0.64 once size is held constant · 2020–2025
SDR allocation linked to young male population
Age population, age 14, male, interpolated vs SDR Allocation, SDR, per capita

-0.56 across 189 countries · -0.64 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Female age 0 population linked to household expenditure
Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure... vs Age population, age 00, female, interpolated

+0.62 across 170 countries · -0.64 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Agriculture value links to GDP per capita
GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) vs Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current...

-0.75 across 201 countries · -0.64 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
N2O emissions linked in crops and agriculture
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture vs All Crops — Crops total (Emissions N2O)

+0.91 across 165 countries · +0.64 once size is held constant · 2023–2050
GVA and savings linked
Gross domestic savings (current LCU), per capita vs Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant LCU), per...

+0.57 across 170 countries · +0.63 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Higher fertility rates linked to fewer years of schooling globally
Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita vs Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling

+0.73 across 198 countries · +0.63 once size is held constant · 2024–2025
GDP links to young female population
GDP (current US$) vs Age population, age 02, female, interpolated

+0.66 across 211 countries · -0.63 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
More wood panel imports are linked to higher GDP across countries
GDP (constant 2015 US$) vs Wood-based panels — Import quantity

+0.82 across 178 countries · +0.63 once size is held constant · 2024–2025
Higher GDP countries tend to have fewer young boys relative to their population size.
GDP (current US$) vs Age population, age 01, male, interpolated

+0.66 across 209 countries · -0.63 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Stronger currency linked to lower import capacity
Exports as a capacity to import (constant LCU) vs US dollar per domestic currency (End-of-period (EoP))

-0.62 across 142 countries · -0.63 once size is held constant · 2006–2025
Male 50-54 population linked to female 55-59 GDP ratio
Population ages 55-59, female, per unit of GDP vs Population ages 50-54, male, per capita

-0.75 across 211 countries · -0.63 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Wealthier countries tend to hold larger reserve tranches per person
GDP per capita (current US$) vs Reserve tranche position, SDR, per capita

+0.74 across 187 countries · +0.63 once size is held constant · 2020–2025
Taxes link to women's empowerment
Key features of women's political empowerment vs Taxes less subsidies on products (current US$), per capita

+0.71 across 159 countries · +0.63 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Young male population linked to GDP
GDP (current US$) vs Age population, age 04, male, interpolated

+0.67 across 211 countries · -0.63 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Corruption linked to political rights
Political Rights Rating vs Public Sector Corruption Index

+0.72 across 172 countries · +0.63 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Economic growth and consumer spending growth move together across nations
Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant LCU),... vs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate

+0.64 across 163 countries · +0.63 once size is held constant · 2018–2025
Higher economic output linked to larger share of global CO2 emissions
Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$) vs Share of global cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change

+0.90 across 182 countries · +0.62 once size is held constant · 2024–2025
Agriculture share links to primary education
Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita vs Enrolment in primary education, male (number), per capita

+0.72 across 183 countries · +0.62 once size is held constant · 2018–2025
Paperboard exports and wood panel imports are strongly linked across countries
Wood-based panels — Import value vs Other paper and paperboard — Export quantity

+0.81 across 174 countries · +0.62 once size is held constant · 2023–2024
Corruption linked to female population 40-44
Public Sector Corruption Index vs Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP

+0.76 across 169 countries · +0.62 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
IMF reserves linked to oil consumption
Oil consumption, per capita vs Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita

+0.74 across 185 countries · +0.62 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
GDP per capita linked to lower corruption
GDP per capita in international and market dollars vs Public Sector Corruption Index

-0.75 across 169 countries · -0.62 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
More phones linked to lower agriculture's share of GDP
Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) vs Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Share of...

-0.73 across 179 countries · -0.61 once size is held constant · 2024–2024
More refugees from a country correlates with weaker rule of law there.
Rule of Law Index vs Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or...

-0.71 across 172 countries · -0.61 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher military spending correlates with greater wood/paper imports
Primary wood and paper products (export/import) — Import value vs Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled

+0.84 across 141 countries · +0.61 once size is held constant · 2024–2024
Female 40-44 population linked to primary enrollment
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita vs Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP

+0.70 across 189 countries · +0.61 once size is held constant · 2018–2025
Countries with more older women tend to have higher nitrous oxide emissions from waste.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Waste (Mt CO2e) vs Population ages 65 and above, female

+0.95 across 200 countries · +0.61 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Countries with younger populations import less paper and paperboard per person.
Other paper and paperboard, not elsewhere specified — Import... vs Population ages 0-14, total, per capita

-0.72 across 176 countries · -0.61 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Fewer older women as younger women grow faster
Population ages 70-74, female, per capita vs Population ages 30-34, female, annual growth rate

-0.66 across 214 countries · -0.61 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Female 55-59 growth rate relates to overall population growth
Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic... vs Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate

+0.67 across 166 countries · +0.60 once size is held constant · 2030–2030
Investment and aging women's share of population show a linked trend.
Population ages 60-64, female, per capita vs Gross fixed capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita

+0.71 across 159 countries · +0.60 once size is held constant · 2025–2025