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Every figure on this page is worked out in your browser from the full data, so switching adjustments on and off works instantly. The income (GDP) adjustment is on to start with. Without it, most of these links just measure how rich countries are.
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How to use it
Choose any two of the 178 country measures. The chart puts one country on each dot, with the first measure across and the second up the side. Turn on the adjustments for national income (GDP per person), region and population size to compare countries that are alike in those ways. If a link is still there with the adjustments on, it is not just a sign of rich countries differing from poor ones. If it fades, it mostly was.
Pairs to start with
The figure is r: how closely two measures rise and fall together across countries, from −1 (one goes up as the other goes down) to +1 (they rise together). 0 means no link. “After” is the same figure comparing countries with similar income. Each pair below has its own page with a chart, the countries furthest from the trend and the checks behind the result.
Strong links that hold up
Countries with similar incomes still show these links.
| Pair | Before adjusting | After |
|---|---|---|
| Birth rate and Fertility rate | +0.98 | +0.94 |
| Birth rate and Population 0-14 | +0.98 | +0.93 |
| Corruption Perceptions Index and Rule of law | +0.95 | +0.90 |
| Fertility rate and Population 0-14 | +0.96 | +0.85 |
| Frequent prayer and Religion very important | +0.91 | +0.85 |
| Frequent prayer and Religious attendance | +0.89 | +0.81 |
| Corruption Perceptions Index and Regulatory quality | +0.91 | +0.81 |
| Corruption Perceptions Index and Government effectiveness | +0.90 | +0.80 |
Strong links that mostly reflect income
These look strong across all countries, but fade once countries with similar incomes are compared.
| Pair | Before adjusting | After |
|---|---|---|
| Inequality-adjusted HDI and Life expectancy | +0.90 | +0.50 |
| Inequality-adjusted HDI and Median age | +0.90 | +0.46 |
| HDI and Population 0-14 | -0.90 | -0.41 |
| Health coverage index and Inequality-adjusted HDI | +0.89 | +0.41 |
| Birth rate and Inequality-adjusted HDI | -0.89 | -0.39 |
| Inequality-adjusted HDI and Population 0-14 | -0.89 | -0.34 |
| Informal employment and Median age | -0.88 | -0.51 |
| Gender Inequality Index and Life expectancy | -0.88 | -0.51 |
More: every country pair with its own page, country rankings for every measure and how the adjustment works.