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.

Countries with higher foreign reserves tend to import more paper and paperboard.
Paper and paperboard — Import value vs Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR)

+0.85 across 153 countries · +0.60 once size is held constant · 2024–2025
Less agriculture as a share of GDP linked to higher GDP per capita.
GDP per capita in international and market dollars vs Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant...

-0.72 across 193 countries · -0.60 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Services value linked to private credit
Monetary Sector credit to private sector (% GDP) vs Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita

+0.70 across 171 countries · +0.60 once size is held constant · 2015–2025
Rural population links to agriculture value
Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, per unit of GDP vs Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current...

+0.72 across 178 countries · +0.59 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Higher deliberative democracy scores associate with lower judicial corruption.
Deliberative Democracy Index vs Judicial Corruption Score

+0.68 across 173 countries · +0.59 once size is held constant · 1948–2025
Young population growth links to working-age female growth
Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate vs Population aged 15-24 years (thousands), annual growth rate

+0.62 across 211 countries · +0.59 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Judicial corruption linked to human rights
Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index vs Judicial Corruption Score

+0.70 across 173 countries · +0.59 once size is held constant · 1948–2025
Higher nitrous oxide emissions strongly linked to crop residue CO2 emissions
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture vs Crop Residues — Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5)

+0.91 across 159 countries · +0.59 once size is held constant · 2023–2050
Foreign reserves per capita link with working-age population share.
Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), per capita vs Population aged 25-64 years (thousands), per capita

+0.69 across 171 countries · +0.59 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Population growth linked to rural growth
Rural population, annual growth rate vs Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual...

+0.64 across 161 countries · +0.59 once size is held constant · 2030–2030
Urban growth linked to primary education
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate vs Primary education, pupils, per capita

+0.66 across 189 countries · +0.59 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher GDP countries tend to have fewer young females relative to others.
Age population, age 12, female, interpolated vs Gross Domestic Product — Value US$

+0.62 across 181 countries · -0.59 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Countries with higher goods exports tend to have more older women in their population.
Goods exports (BoP, current US$) vs Population ages 65 and above, female

+0.83 across 184 countries · +0.59 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Savings linked to IMF reserves
Gross domestic savings (current US$), per capita vs Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita

+0.70 across 165 countries · +0.58 once size is held constant · 2020–2025
Female age 7 population linked to GDP
GDP (constant 2015 US$) vs Age population, age 07, female, interpolated

+0.69 across 209 countries · -0.58 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
GDP relates to young male population
GDP (constant 2015 US$) vs Age population, age 15, male, interpolated

+0.71 across 209 countries · -0.58 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher female population per GDP links to lower foreign reserves per person.
Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, per... vs Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), per capita

-0.71 across 152 countries · -0.58 once size is held constant · 2022–2025
Higher female child population correlates with lower capital investment globally.
Gross capital formation (current US$) vs Age population, age 09, female, interpolated

+0.57 across 175 countries · -0.58 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Countries importing more paper tend to hold higher foreign reserves
Printing and writing papers — Import quantity vs Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR)

+0.85 across 153 countries · +0.58 once size is held constant · 2024–2025
Older men linked to women's rights
Women's Civil Liberties Index vs Population ages 75-79, male, per capita

+0.67 across 172 countries · +0.58 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher per‑capita consumption is associated with a larger share of women aged 70‑74 in a country’s population
Population ages 70-74, female, per capita vs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita

+0.68 across 169 countries · +0.58 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Democracy varies inversely with clientelism
Varieties of democracy vs Clientelism Index

-0.66 across 173 countries · -0.58 once size is held constant · 1948–2025
Population growth rate linked to lower capital formation
Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic... vs Gross capital formation (current US$), per capita

-0.70 across 134 countries · -0.58 once size is held constant · 2030–2030
Older women's share of GDP linked to dependency on young
Age dependency ratio, young (% of working-age population) vs Population ages 60-64, female, per unit of GDP

+0.70 across 211 countries · +0.58 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Political rights linked to lower taxes
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled vs Taxes less subsidies on products (current US$), per capita

-0.66 across 177 countries · -0.58 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Female 40-44 growth rate relates to total population growth
Total population (thousands), annual growth rate vs Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate

+0.63 across 211 countries · +0.57 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Savings decrease with young female population
Gross domestic savings (current US$), per capita vs Population ages 0-14, female, per capita

-0.71 across 177 countries · -0.57 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher male youth populations correlate with lower GDP values after controls.
Age population, age 15, male, interpolated vs Gross Domestic Product — Value US$

+0.64 across 181 countries · -0.57 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Milk production closely tracks overall food production across countries
Food — Gross Production Value (constant 2014-2016 thousand I$) vs Milk, Total — Gross Production Value (constant 2014-2016 thousand I$)

+0.82 across 164 countries · +0.57 once size is held constant · 2022–2024
N2O emissions linked to synthetic fertilizer use
Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture vs Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions (N2O)

+0.86 across 165 countries · +0.57 once size is held constant · 2023–2050
Countries with more maize crop residue burning tend to have higher indirect N2O emissions.
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues vs Maize (corn) — Burning crop residues (Emissions N2O)

+0.83 across 141 countries · +0.57 once size is held constant · 1980–2050
Higher male population per GDP links to lower foreign reserves per person
Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, per unit of GDP vs Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), per capita

-0.70 across 152 countries · -0.57 once size is held constant · 2022–2025
Young women and older men linked to GDP
Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP vs Population ages 20-24, female, per capita

+0.69 across 211 countries · +0.57 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher nitrogen fertilizer use is strongly linked to greater nitrous oxide emissions from crop residues.
Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues vs Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content...

+0.84 across 149 countries · +0.57 once size is held constant · 2023–2050
More young males linked to lower investment in countries
Age population, age 13, male, interpolated vs Gross Fixed Capital Formation — Value US$

+0.60 across 181 countries · -0.57 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Services and industry values inversely related
Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP vs Industry (including construction), value added (current...

-0.58 across 204 countries · -0.56 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Higher agricultural emissions strongly linked to crop residue emissions across countries
Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture vs Crop Residues — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5)

+0.90 across 159 countries · +0.56 once size is held constant · 2023–2050
Nitrogen fertilizer use and crop residue emissions show a linked pattern
Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Indirect emissions (N2O that... vs Crop Residues — Direct emissions (N2O)

+0.84 across 150 countries · +0.56 once size is held constant · 2023–2050
Older females linked to gold reserves
Population ages 65 and above, female (% of female population) vs Total reserves (gold at national valuation) (SDR), per capita

+0.67 across 171 countries · +0.56 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Rural population linked to education spending
Rural population, per capita vs Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP

+0.65 across 188 countries · +0.56 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Young dependency ratio linked to private sector credit
Monetary Sector credit to private sector (% GDP) vs Age dependency ratio, young (% of working-age population)

-0.67 across 172 countries · -0.56 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Agriculture value links to older female population
Population ages 65 and above, female, per capita vs Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant...

-0.67 across 192 countries · -0.56 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Female 20-year-old population linked to household spending
Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure... vs Age population, age 20, female, interpolated

+0.70 across 170 countries · -0.56 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher GDP per capita is linked to greater foreign reserves per person.
GDP per capita (current US$) vs Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), per capita

+0.67 across 169 countries · +0.56 once size is held constant · 2022–2025
Younger girls per GDP link to women in their 20s
Population ages 25-29, female, per capita vs Population ages 10-14, female, per unit of GDP

+0.64 across 211 countries · +0.55 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Manure emissions linked to crop residues
All Crops — Crop residues (Emissions N2O) vs Manure Management — Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5)

+0.87 across 160 countries · +0.55 once size is held constant · 2023–2050
Male workforce growth linked to education spending
Population ages 15-64, male, annual growth rate vs Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP

+0.65 across 188 countries · +0.55 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Livestock emissions linked to manure management
Manure Management — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) vs Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5)

+0.86 across 181 countries · +0.55 once size is held constant · 2023–2050
Working-age population linked to GDP
Gross Domestic Product, GDP in millions constant 2021... vs Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) (15+)

+0.80 across 180 countries · +0.55 once size is held constant · 2030–2030
Countries with higher respect for counterarguments tend to have stronger women's political empowerment.
Respect for Counterarguments Score vs Women's Political Empowerment Index

+0.57 across 173 countries · +0.55 once size is held constant · 1948–2025
Older men correlate with consumption expenditure
Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) vs Population ages 55-59, male, per unit of GDP

+0.62 across 182 countries · +0.55 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Countries with higher CO2 from oil tend to produce more chicken meat
Share of global CO₂ emissions from oil vs Meat of chickens, fresh or chilled (indigenous) — Gross...

+0.86 across 141 countries · +0.55 once size is held constant · 2024–2024
Higher population growth linked to lower paper imports per person
Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic... vs Printing and writing papers — Import quantity, per capita

-0.66 across 154 countries · -0.55 once size is held constant · 2030–2030
Young population growth links to 40s female growth
Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate vs Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate

+0.59 across 213 countries · +0.55 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher agriculture GDP share correlates with lower per capita urban/rural population in 2050
Share of GDP from agriculture vs Urban and rural population 2050, per capita

+0.62 across 197 countries · +0.55 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Older male population and primary education show a positive association.
Population ages 80 and above, male, per unit of GDP vs Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP

+0.68 across 190 countries · +0.55 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Synthetic fertilizer use strongly linked to agricultural N2O emissions
Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils vs Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Emissions N2O)

+0.83 across 154 countries · +0.55 once size is held constant · 2023–2050
Young males fewer where private credit is higher
Domestic credit to private sector (% of GDP) vs Population ages 00-04, male, per capita

-0.65 across 173 countries · -0.55 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Services value linked to wood imports
Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita vs Industrial roundwood — Import value, per capita

+0.67 across 170 countries · +0.54 once size is held constant · 2024–2025
Countries with more farmland tend to have larger sheep herds.
Agriculture — Area vs Sheep — Stocks

+0.77 across 159 countries · +0.54 once size is held constant · 2023–2024