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.

Female 20-24 population linked to rule of law
Rule of Law Index vs Population ages 20-24, female, per unit of GDP

-0.66 across 169 countries · -0.50 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Countries with higher GDP per capita have a larger gender gap in overweight rates.
Share of overweight men vs. women vs Gdp worldbank constant usd, per capita

+0.63 across 193 countries · +0.50 once size is held constant · 2024–2025
GDP per capita falls as GDP rises per unit
GDP per capita (current US$) vs GDP (current LCU), per unit of GDP

-0.64 across 212 countries · -0.50 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Young male populations linked to lower service export intensity.
Population ages 0-14, male vs Service exports (BoP, current US$), per unit of GDP

-0.66 across 184 countries · -0.50 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher elderly male population linked to lower clientelism across countries
Clientelism Index vs Population ages 65 and above, male, per capita

-0.63 across 172 countries · -0.50 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Urban population linked to GDP per capita
Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, per capita vs Gdp worldbank constant usd, per capita

+0.61 across 183 countries · +0.49 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Older women relative to GDP correlates with foreign reserves per person.
Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), per capita vs Population ages 60-64, female, per unit of GDP

-0.64 across 169 countries · -0.49 once size is held constant · 2022–2025
Higher male life expectancy is linked to a greater share of overweight men across countries.
Life expectancy at birth, male (years) vs Share of men who are overweight or obese

+0.59 across 195 countries · +0.49 once size is held constant · 2024–2024
Taxes linked to lower consumption
Taxes less subsidies on products (current LCU), per unit of GDP vs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita

-0.62 across 158 countries · -0.49 once size is held constant · 2018–2025
Higher political rights ratings associate with lower shares of elderly women
Political Rights Rating vs Population ages 65 and above, female, per capita

-0.57 across 193 countries · -0.49 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
GNI per GDP shows a moderate link with primary education pupils per GDP.
GNI (current LCU), per unit of GDP vs Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP

+0.62 across 189 countries · +0.49 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Young women linked to youth dependency
Age dependency ratio, young (% of working-age population) vs Population ages 25-29, female, per capita

+0.58 across 214 countries · +0.49 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Primary education enrolment linked to male 40-44 population
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP vs Population ages 40-44, male, per capita

-0.60 across 188 countries · -0.49 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Female teens linked to phone subscriptions
Age population, age 17, female, interpolated vs Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled

+0.55 across 210 countries · -0.49 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher male-population-per-GDP linked to lower public administration scores
Rigorous and Impartial Public Administration Score vs Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, per unit of GDP

-0.63 across 150 countries · -0.49 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Urban growth correlates with lower per capita imports.
Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita vs Urban population, annual growth rate

-0.62 across 204 countries · -0.49 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher clientelism linked to lower consumption
Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure per... vs Clientelism Index

-0.63 across 150 countries · -0.49 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Expenditure linked to male population
Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP vs Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP

+0.64 across 179 countries · +0.49 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Democracy correlates with paper imports
Egalitarian Democracy Index vs Printing and writing papers — Import value, per capita

+0.66 across 153 countries · +0.49 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Civil liberties linked to lower imports
Imports of goods, services and primary income (BoP, current US$) vs Civil liberties rating, per capita

-0.75 across 176 countries · -0.49 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Wealthier countries spend less on consumption
GDP per capita vs Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure...

-0.62 across 172 countries · -0.48 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Higher health system scores associate with greater potato yields across countries
Potatoes — Yield vs Health system composite index

+0.64 across 133 countries · +0.48 once size is held constant · 2023–2024
GDP per capita linked to coniferous sawnwood imports
GDP per capita (current US$) vs Sawnwood, coniferous — Import quantity, per capita

+0.63 across 179 countries · +0.48 once size is held constant · 2024–2025
Higher phosphate imports are linked to greater merchandise imports globally.
Merchandise imports (current US$) vs Nutrient phosphate P2O5 (total) — Import quantity

+0.77 across 172 countries · +0.48 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Countries with more synthetic fertilizer use emit more methane from wheat residue burning
Wheat — Burning crop residues (Emissions CH4) vs Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Emissions N2O)

+0.70 across 109 countries · +0.48 once size is held constant · 2023–2050
Higher GNI per GDP links to lower real GDP per capita
GNI (current LCU), per unit of GDP vs GDP (constant 2015 US$), per capita

-0.62 across 204 countries · -0.48 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Urbanization linked to household spending
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per unit of GDP vs Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure...

+0.62 across 172 countries · +0.48 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
More democratic countries have fewer refugees
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or... vs Liberal democracy row, gaps filled

-0.57 across 169 countries · -0.48 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher female survival to 65 correlates with greater male overweight share
Survival to age 65, female (% of cohort) vs Share of overweight men vs. women

+0.58 across 195 countries · +0.48 once size is held constant · 2024–2024
Countries with heavier cattle yield tend to have fewer young boys per GDP unit.
Meat of cattle with the bone, fresh or chilled — Yield/Carcass Weight vs Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP

-0.58 across 163 countries · -0.48 once size is held constant · 2024–2025
Imports and female population linked to GDP
Population, female, per unit of GDP vs Imports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP

+0.60 across 187 countries · +0.48 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Higher government spending per GDP unit linked to lower economic output per person
General government total expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP vs Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita

-0.61 across 189 countries · -0.48 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Net secondary income linked to exchange rates
Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad)... vs Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average

+0.59 across 172 countries · +0.48 once size is held constant · 2024–2026
Countries with more seniors tend to score higher on human rights
Human Rights Index vs Population aged 65 years or older (thousands), per capita

+0.58 across 172 countries · +0.48 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher imports are linked to a larger young female population
Imports of goods, services and primary income (BoP, current US$) vs Age population, age 24, female, interpolated

+0.59 across 184 countries · -0.47 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Manufacturing's share of GDP inversely linked to services per person.
Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita vs Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP

-0.59 across 188 countries · -0.47 once size is held constant · 2015–2025
Exchange rates linked to female youth population
Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) vs Population ages 10-14, female, per capita

+0.58 across 209 countries · +0.47 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Reserves linked to aging population
Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population) vs Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per capita

+0.57 across 175 countries · +0.47 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Consumption growth falls as reserve position rises
Reserve tranche position, SDR, per capita vs Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current...

-0.55 across 162 countries · -0.47 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
More female teachers linked to higher GDP
GDP (current US$) vs Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled

+0.83 across 171 countries · +0.47 once size is held constant · 2024–2025
Countries with more pigs tend to export more roundwood.
Roundwood — Export quantity vs Swine / pigs — Stocks

+0.57 across 147 countries · +0.47 once size is held constant · 2023–2024
Infant deaths link to female population growth
Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate vs Number of infant deaths, male, per unit of GDP

+0.56 across 192 countries · +0.47 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Education enrolment linked to national expenditure
Gross national expenditure (current US$) vs Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled

+0.58 across 162 countries · -0.47 once size is held constant · 2018–2025
Higher crop residue emissions correlate with more dry bean production residues
Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - Burning... vs Beans, dry — Crop residues (N content)

+0.71 across 104 countries · +0.47 once size is held constant · 2023–2050
Higher rural population per capita linked to lower survival to age 65
Share of men and women expected to survive to the age of 65 vs Rural population, per capita

-0.58 across 211 countries · -0.47 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Industry value added links to lower GDP per capita
GDP (current US$), per capita vs Industry (including construction), value added (current...

-0.60 across 204 countries · -0.47 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Wealthier nations tend to have better political rights
Political Rights Rating vs GNI (current US$), per capita

-0.58 across 189 countries · -0.47 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Countries with equal resource distribution have more women aged 55-59
Equal Resource Distribution Index vs Population ages 55-59, female, per capita

+0.62 across 172 countries · +0.46 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Countries with weaker currencies tend to have more refugees per GDP
Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) vs Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or...

+0.56 across 189 countries · +0.46 once size is held constant · 2022–2025
Countries with more young people tend to have higher refugee ratios per GDP.
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or... vs Population aged 15-24 years (thousands), per capita

+0.61 across 193 countries · +0.46 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Imports linked to women's empowerment
Women's political empowerment index vs. electoral democracy index vs Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita

+0.61 across 172 countries · +0.46 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Investment as a share of GDP relates to population distribution dynamics.
Population regions with projections, per unit of GDP vs Gross fixed capital formation (current LCU), per unit of GDP

+0.60 across 173 countries · +0.46 once size is held constant · 2011–2025
Coal use linked to service export share
Share of service in total exports vs Coal consumption, per capita

+0.65 across 178 countries · +0.46 once size is held constant · 2024–2025
Fossil fuel use per capita shows a notable negative link with young adult female population
Fossil fuel consumption, per capita vs Population ages 25-29, female, per capita

-0.56 across 202 countries · -0.46 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Wealthy investments linked to slower income growth
Population by income level, annual growth rate vs Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), per capita

-0.58 across 169 countries · -0.46 once size is held constant · 2025–2025
Higher sawnwood exports linked to higher product taxes/subsidies
Taxes less subsidies on products (current US$) vs Sawnwood — Export quantity

+0.65 across 166 countries · +0.46 once size is held constant · 2024–2025
Higher male tertiary education enrolment linked to larger primary income payments
Primary income payments (BoP, current US$) vs Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male...

+0.67 across 149 countries · +0.46 once size is held constant · 2016–2025
Countries with higher livestock production also produce more eggs.
Livestock — Gross Production Value (constant 2014-2016 thousand US$) vs Hen eggs in shell, fresh — Production

+0.85 across 135 countries · +0.46 once size is held constant · 2022–2024
Services value added linked to coal consumption
Services, value added (current US$) vs Coal consumption, per capita

+0.64 across 192 countries · +0.45 once size is held constant · 2024–2025
Young population linked to lower reserves
Population ages 0-14, total, per capita vs Reserve tranche position, SDR, per capita

-0.60 across 189 countries · -0.45 once size is held constant · 2025–2025