placestats

Birth registration vs. Fixed broadband

Fades after adjusting for income

Across 165 countries, Birth registration and Fixed broadband rise and fall together at r = +0.61 (on a scale from −1 to +1, where 0 means no link). Comparing only countries with similar income (GDP per person) shrinks it to +0.09, which could easily be chance (q = 0.16, allowing for the many pairs tested, and allowing for countries in the same region being alike). So the first figure mostly shows richer countries differing from poorer ones, not a link between these two things.

Comparing countries across the middle half of birth registration, 78.1% to 100% of children under 5, fixed broadband is better by 9.34 per 100 people at the top of that range than the bottom. Comparing only countries with similar national income, the gap is 0.95 per 100 people.

Link before adjusting (r)+0.611p = 3.2e-18 · 165 countries
After adjusting for national income+0.088p = 0.264 · likely range [-0.07, +0.24]
p, allowing for regions0.039standard error 0.033 · 7 regions
Check for luck (q)0.158across 12,497 pairs

How to read these.r runs from −1 (one goes up as the other goes down) to +1 (they rise together), and 0 means no link. Adjusting for national income means comparing countries with the same GDP per person, so differences in wealth can’t explain the link. Income is used in percentage terms, since an extra $1,000 means more to a poor country than to a rich one. p is how likely a link this strong would be if there were really none. Below 0.05 means it is unlikely to be chance. Very small values are written in short form: 1.1e-32 means a decimal point followed by 31 zeros and then 11, so very close to zero. The likely range is where the true figure probably lies, and a range that crosses zero means the link could easily be chance. Countries in the same region tend to resemble each other, so the third figure allows for that, which gives a fairer p. The standard error is the typical size of the error in r. Finally, testing this many pairs means some will look strong by luck alone. A q below 0.05 means this link is unlikely to be one of those.

Birth registration · % of children under 5link with income +0.87 · proxy
Fixed broadband · per 100 peoplelink with income +0.88 · proxy

Both of these rise and fall closely with national income, so a strong link between them before adjusting was close to certain. Read the adjusted figure, not the first one.

“Link with income” is how closely each measure tracks GDP per person across countries, from −1 to +1.

Every country as a dot

Birth registration · % of children under 5 →Fixed broadband · per 100 people →2.7%100%052.4Afghanistan: 42.3% of children under 5, 0.0801 per 100 peopleAngola: 25% of children under 5, 0.363 per 100 peopleAlbania: 98.4% of children under 5, 24.9 per 100 peopleAndorra: 100% of children under 5, 52.4 per 100 peopleUnited Arab Emirates: 100% of children under 5, 40.8 per 100 peopleArgentina: 99.7% of children under 5, 26.1 per 100 peopleArmenia: 99.3% of children under 5, 20.3 per 100 peopleAustralia: 100% of children under 5, 36.5 per 100 peopleAustria: 100% of children under 5, 30.1 per 100 peopleBurundi: 83.5% of children under 5, 0.0203 per 100 peopleBelgium: 100% of children under 5, 44.2 per 100 peopleBenin: 85.6% of children under 5, 0.277 per 100 peopleBurkina Faso: 76.9% of children under 5, 0.851 per 100 peopleBangladesh: 56% of children under 5, 8.09 per 100 peopleBulgaria: 100% of children under 5, 37 per 100 peopleBahrain: 100% of children under 5, 17 per 100 peopleBelarus: 100% of children under 5, 36.3 per 100 peopleBelize: 95.7% of children under 5, 9.75 per 100 peopleBolivia: 91.9% of children under 5, 12.1 per 100 peopleBrazil: 96.4% of children under 5, 24.1 per 100 peopleBarbados: 98.7% of children under 5, 37.5 per 100 peopleBrunei Darussalam: 99.9% of children under 5, 21.2 per 100 peopleBhutan: 99.9% of children under 5, 2.92 per 100 peopleBotswana: 87.5% of children under 5, 7.44 per 100 peopleCentral African Republic: 44.8% of children under 5, 0.0161 per 100 peopleCanada: 100% of children under 5, 42.5 per 100 peopleSwitzerland: 100% of children under 5, 47 per 100 peopleChile: 99.4% of children under 5, 23.7 per 100 peopleCote d'Ivoire: 71.7% of children under 5, 1.6 per 100 peopleCameroon: 61.9% of children under 5, 2.13 per 100 peopleCongo, Dem. Rep.: 40.1% of children under 5, 0.032 per 100 peopleCongo, Rep.: 95.9% of children under 5, 1.27 per 100 peopleColombia: 96.8% of children under 5, 17.2 per 100 peopleComoros: 87.3% of children under 5, 0.388 per 100 peopleCabo Verde: 91.4% of children under 5, 8.31 per 100 peopleCosta Rica: 99.6% of children under 5, 23.3 per 100 peopleCyprus: 100% of children under 5, 37.6 per 100 peopleCzechia: 100% of children under 5, 38.9 per 100 peopleGermany: 100% of children under 5, 45.6 per 100 peopleDenmark: 100% of children under 5, 43.4 per 100 peopleDominican Republic: 92.2% of children under 5, 11.2 per 100 peopleAlgeria: 99.6% of children under 5, 13.3 per 100 peopleEcuador: 87.2% of children under 5, 17.2 per 100 peopleEgypt, Arab Rep.: 99.4% of children under 5, 11.7 per 100 peopleSpain: 100% of children under 5, 39.2 per 100 peopleEstonia: 100% of children under 5, 35.4 per 100 peopleEthiopia: 2.7% of children under 5, 0.594 per 100 peopleFinland: 100% of children under 5, 36.5 per 100 peopleFiji: 86.6% of children under 5, 1.8 per 100 peopleFrance: 100% of children under 5, 48.9 per 100 peopleGabon: 89.6% of children under 5, 4.69 per 100 peopleUnited Kingdom: 100% of children under 5, 42.2 per 100 peopleGeorgia: 98.5% of children under 5, 30.4 per 100 peopleGhana: 70.6% of children under 5, 0.665 per 100 peopleGuinea: 62% of children under 5, 0.00628 per 100 peopleGambia, The: 59% of children under 5, 0.519 per 100 peopleGuinea-Bissau: 46% of children under 5, 0.386 per 100 peopleEquatorial Guinea: 53.5% of children under 5, 0.101 per 100 peopleGreece: 100% of children under 5, 44.7 per 100 peopleGuatemala: 96.4% of children under 5, 5.34 per 100 peopleGuyana: 98.1% of children under 5, 12.9 per 100 peopleHonduras: 97% of children under 5, 4.58 per 100 peopleCroatia: 100% of children under 5, 29.6 per 100 peopleHaiti: 84.8% of children under 5, 0.307 per 100 peopleHungary: 100% of children under 5, 37.5 per 100 peopleIndonesia: 77% of children under 5, 4.92 per 100 peopleIndia: 89.1% of children under 5, 3.15 per 100 peopleIreland: 100% of children under 5, 32.3 per 100 peopleIran, Islamic Rep.: 98.6% of children under 5, 12.1 per 100 peopleIraq: 98.8% of children under 5, 17.6 per 100 peopleIceland: 100% of children under 5, 37.5 per 100 peopleIsrael: 100% of children under 5, 29.2 per 100 peopleItaly: 100% of children under 5, 31.8 per 100 peopleJamaica: 98% of children under 5, 16 per 100 peopleJordan: 98% of children under 5, 7.02 per 100 peopleJapan: 100% of children under 5, 38.6 per 100 peopleKazakhstan: 99.7% of children under 5, 15.3 per 100 peopleKenya: 66.9% of children under 5, 3.04 per 100 peopleKyrgyz Republic: 98.9% of children under 5, 7.8 per 100 peopleCambodia: 73.3% of children under 5, 4.15 per 100 peopleKiribati: 91.6% of children under 5, 0.0349 per 100 peopleLao PDR: 73% of children under 5, 2.72 per 100 peopleLebanon: 98.9% of children under 5, 7.29 per 100 peopleLiberia: 66.3% of children under 5, 0.275 per 100 peopleSt. Lucia: 92% of children under 5, 13.6 per 100 peopleLesotho: 44.5% of children under 5, 0.379 per 100 peopleLithuania: 100% of children under 5, 27.8 per 100 peopleLuxembourg: 100% of children under 5, 40.3 per 100 peopleLatvia: 100% of children under 5, 25.8 per 100 peopleMorocco: 96.9% of children under 5, 7.3 per 100 peopleMoldova: 99.6% of children under 5, 29.6 per 100 peopleMadagascar: 73.8% of children under 5, 0.124 per 100 peopleMaldives: 98.8% of children under 5, 19.6 per 100 peopleMexico: 97% of children under 5, 21.7 per 100 peopleMarshall Islands: 83.8% of children under 5, 2.35 per 100 peopleNorth Macedonia: 99.8% of children under 5, 29.9 per 100 peopleMali: 86.7% of children under 5, 0.774 per 100 peopleMalta: 100% of children under 5, 44.5 per 100 peopleMyanmar: 81.3% of children under 5, 2.87 per 100 peopleMontenegro: 99.4% of children under 5, 32.3 per 100 peopleMongolia: 99.6% of children under 5, 15.8 per 100 peopleMozambique: 55% of children under 5, 0.142 per 100 peopleMauritania: 44.8% of children under 5, 0.947 per 100 peopleMalawi: 67.2% of children under 5, 0.0864 per 100 peopleNamibia: 78.1% of children under 5, 2.83 per 100 peopleNiger: 63.9% of children under 5, 0.111 per 100 peopleNigeria: 42.6% of children under 5, 0.0787 per 100 peopleNicaragua: 84.7% of children under 5, 5.78 per 100 peopleNetherlands: 100% of children under 5, 43 per 100 peopleNorway: 100% of children under 5, 45.2 per 100 peopleNepal: 77.2% of children under 5, 10.1 per 100 peopleNaoero: 95.9% of children under 5, 9.96 per 100 peopleNew Zealand: 100% of children under 5, 38 per 100 peopleOman: 100% of children under 5, 11.1 per 100 peoplePakistan: 42.2% of children under 5, 1.47 per 100 peoplePanama: 96.7% of children under 5, 18.1 per 100 peoplePeru: 96.4% of children under 5, 11.7 per 100 peoplePhilippines: 91.8% of children under 5, 7.14 per 100 peoplePapua New Guinea: 13.4% of children under 5, 0.233 per 100 peoplePoland: 100% of children under 5, 25.4 per 100 peoplePortugal: 100% of children under 5, 45.2 per 100 peopleParaguay: 71% of children under 5, 12.9 per 100 peopleWest Bank and Gaza: 99.2% of children under 5, 8.16 per 100 peopleQatar: 100% of children under 5, 11.8 per 100 peopleRomania: 100% of children under 5, 35.8 per 100 peopleRussian Federation: 100% of children under 5, 27.1 per 100 peopleRwanda: 85.6% of children under 5, 0.596 per 100 peopleSaudi Arabia: 99.2% of children under 5, 44.1 per 100 peopleSudan: 67.3% of children under 5, 0.0604 per 100 peopleSenegal: 78.7% of children under 5, 4.04 per 100 peopleSingapore: 99.9% of children under 5, 27.8 per 100 peopleSolomon Islands: 88% of children under 5, 0.107 per 100 peopleSierra Leone: 90.4% of children under 5, 0.00227 per 100 peopleEl Salvador: 91.2% of children under 5, 12.5 per 100 peopleSan Marino: 100% of children under 5, 35.8 per 100 peopleSomalia, Fed. Rep.: 5.9% of children under 5, 0.723 per 100 peopleSerbia: 99.9% of children under 5, 33.4 per 100 peopleSao Tome and Principe: 98.6% of children under 5, 2.99 per 100 peopleSuriname: 98.3% of children under 5, 18.8 per 100 peopleSlovak Republic: 100% of children under 5, 33.8 per 100 peopleSlovenia: 100% of children under 5, 34.2 per 100 peopleSweden: 100% of children under 5, 40.6 per 100 peopleEswatini: 53.5% of children under 5, 2.51 per 100 peopleChad: 25.7% of children under 5, 0 per 100 peopleTogo: 82.9% of children under 5, 1.42 per 100 peopleThailand: 99.8% of children under 5, 14.9 per 100 peopleTajikistan: 95.8% of children under 5, 0.984 per 100 peopleTurkmenistan: 99.9% of children under 5, 5.22 per 100 peopleTimor-Leste: 60.4% of children under 5, 0.006 per 100 peopleTonga: 97.7% of children under 5, 8.17 per 100 peopleTrinidad and Tobago: 96.5% of children under 5, 27 per 100 peopleTunisia: 99.9% of children under 5, 15 per 100 peopleTurkiye: 98.4% of children under 5, 23.4 per 100 peopleTuvalu: 87.2% of children under 5, 4.52 per 100 peopleTanzania: 26.4% of children under 5, 0.246 per 100 peopleUganda: 32.2% of children under 5, 0.208 per 100 peopleUkraine: 99.8% of children under 5, 21.7 per 100 peopleUruguay: 99.8% of children under 5, 33 per 100 peopleUnited States: 100% of children under 5, 38.9 per 100 peopleViet Nam: 96.1% of children under 5, 23.7 per 100 peopleVanuatu: 43.4% of children under 5, 1.16 per 100 peopleSamoa: 66.9% of children under 5, 0.878 per 100 peopleSouth Africa: 88.6% of children under 5, 5.35 per 100 peopleZambia: 14% of children under 5, 0.79 per 100 peopleZimbabwe: 48.7% of children under 5, 1.94 per 100 peopleANDBTNCHEETHFRAPNGSOMSTPTJKZMB

best-fit line line after adjusting

Four ways to measure the link

MethodrpCountries
Standard (Pearson), not adjusted+0.6113.2e-18165
By rank (Spearman), not adjusted+0.8824.3e-55165
Standard (Pearson), adjusted for national income+0.0880.264165
By rank (Spearman), adjusted for national income+0.4346.5e-9165

The rank version uses only each country’s place in line, from lowest to highest, so a few extreme countries count for less. The adjusted and unadjusted versions use the same 165 countries: those that report both measures and GDP per person. So the gap between them comes from the adjustment, not from a change in which countries are counted. Drop in the size of r after adjusting: +0.523 (a minus sign means it grew).

How solid is it?

Leaving out one country at a time, r ranges from +0.065 (without AGO) to +0.116 (without SOM). The bar above shows that range on a scale from −1 to +1, with the solid line at the full result. The single country that moves r most: SOM (+0.028).

Within each region

Countries are not separate, unrelated cases, and neighbors share a lot. A link that holds inside each region is far more believable than one that shows up only when comparing regions.

nr
East Asia & Pacific24+0.21
Europe & Central Asia47+0.18
Latin America & Caribbean25+0.29
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan18+0.01
Sub-Saharan Africa44+0.34

By income third

If the link shows up only in the richest third of countries, it is a feature of rich countries, not a general pattern.

nr
Poorest third55+0.31
Middle third55+0.27
Richest third55+0.35

By largest religious group

Countries grouped by a label they share, such as main religion, rather than by a number. Groups of fewer than twelve countries are not shown. These groups differ in income, region and history all at once. So a gap between them is a place to start asking questions, not an answer.

nr
Christians103+0.17
Muslims41+0.08

By last european coloniser

Countries grouped by a label they share, such as main religion, rather than by a number. Groups of fewer than twelve countries are not shown. These groups differ in income, region and history all at once. So a gap between them is a place to start asking questions, not an answer.

nr
France23+0.23
Never a European colony17-0.18
Spain19+0.54
United Kingdom51+0.11

Without outliers (countries far outside the middle half of countries on either measure, by more than one and a half times the width of that middle half): r = +0.166 after dropping 16 countries.

Two series, one country

Both measures over the years for one country you pick. The two charts are stacked so they share only the years along the bottom.

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Over time, within countries

Everything above compares countries with each other at one moment. This section compares each country only with itself over 0years. So a link here can’t come from anything about a country that stays the same, such as its history, geography, institutions or culture.

Not enough history inside each country to look at this over time. That needs countries measured for several years in a row, and at least one of these measures is measured too rarely.

The data


% of children under 5
per 100 people		Years
United States USA100%38.92022, 2024
Sweden SWE100%40.62022, 2024
Slovenia SVN100%34.22022, 2024
Slovak Republic SVK100%33.82020, 2024
San Marino SMR100%35.82022
Russian Federation RUS100%27.12022, 2024
Romania ROU100%35.82020, 2024
Qatar QAT100%11.82020, 2024
Portugal PRT100%45.22020, 2024
Poland POL100%25.42017, 2024
Oman OMN100%11.12018, 2024
New Zealand NZL100%382022, 2024
Norway NOR100%45.22022, 2024
Netherlands NLD100%432022, 2024
Malta MLT100%44.52022, 2024

World Bank, World Development Indicators
World Bank, World Development Indicators

Sources

Birth registration

Completeness of birth registration (%)

UNICEF · CC BY 4.0 · updated quarterly

A measure of how far the state reaches: whether it knows a child exists. Based on surveys and sparse. It is near 100 across the rich world, so all the variation is at the other end.

Fixed broadband

Fixed broadband subscriptions (per 100 people)

International Telecommunication Union · CC BY 4.0 · updated quarterly

Subscriptions, not people. A household line counts once, however many people use it. A country that went straight to mobile data can be well connected with few of these lines. Internet users, already on the site, is the measure of people.

How this was computed

Data used: most recent value in 2010-2025; values come from 2010–2024. To adjust for income, each measure is first predicted from GDP per person (in percentage terms, on a log scale) with a straight-line fit. Only what is left over is then compared. This is called a partial correlation. The line is drawn the standard way (ordinary least squares), which picks the line that comes closest to all the countries at once. The error margins allow for countries in the same region resembling each other, using 7 World Bank regions. The q-value corrects for testing all 12,497 pairs at once, using the Benjamini–Hochberg method. Underlying data last updated DYB 2024. How the country data works · explore Birth registration and Fixed broadband

This page shows that two measures go together. It does not show that Birth registration changes Fixed broadband, or the reverse. These figures also describe countries, not individual people. See the ecological fallacy.

More links with Birth registration or Fixed broadband