The Correlation between GDP PPP Per Capita and GDP PPP Per Area in Africa

Oct 19, 2017
Scatter plot of per capita GDP PPP and GDP PPP per area

The correlation between per capita gross domestic product based on purchasing power parity (GDP PPP) and GDP PPP per area in Africa is moderate.  The three largest economies on a per capita basis all have a high per area GDP relative to other countries on the continent.

Findings

  • The correlation coefficient between per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and minimum wage in Africa is 0.50.
  • As the per capita GDP PPP increases in Africa, the per area GDP PPP somewhat increases.
  • The Central African Republic has the lowest per capita GDP PPP and the lowest per area GDP PPP.
  • Equatorial Guinea has the largest per capita GDP PPP and the fifth highest per area GDP PPP on the continent.
  • Mauritius on the other hand, has the highest per area GDP PPP and the third highest per capita GDP PPP.

Caveats

  • As always, correlation does not imply causation.
  • Mayotte, Reunion, Somalia, South Sudan, Western Sahara, and Zimbabwe were missing data.

Details

Every country that has a per capita GDP PPP of at least 20,000 international dollars, also has a GDP PPP per square kilometer of at least one million international dollars.  In addition, every country with a per capita GDP PPP below 1,000 international dollars, also has a GDP PPP per square kilometer of at most 50,000 international dollars.

Just like in Asia, there are no geographic clusters.

Country Codes

CodeCountryGDP PPP Per Square KilometerPer Capita GDP PPP
DZAlgeria266,505.0515,026
AOAngola155,558.676,844
BJBenin225,595.352,119
BWBotswana67,134.2417,042
BFBurkina Faso129,824.951,782
BIBurundi288,321.95814
CMCameroon171,493.773,249
CVCape Verde932,804.366,662
CFCentral African Republic5,475.26652
TDChad23,154.212,445
KMComoros594,630.871,529
CGCongo89,494.156,676
CICote d'Ivoire297,358.153,609
CDDemocratic Republic of the Congo29,140.78773
DJDjibouti159,181.93,370
EGEgypt1,196,232.4612,554
GQEquatorial Guinea1,098,249.6238,639
EREritrea82,295.921,410
ETEthiopia176,564.341,946
GAGabon138,227.7219,056
GMGambia319,203.541,667
GHGhana551,231.84,412
GNGuinea69,373.661,265
GWGuinea-Bissau85,508.651,730
KEKenya283,165.653,361
LSLesotho240,059.33,601
LRLiberia35,557.47855
LYLibya49,482.828,678
MGMadagascar68,232.031,505
MWMalawi190,548.931,134
MLMali33,038.432,266
MRMauritania16,902.114,328
MUMauritius10,636,890.9520,422
MAMorocco673,062.378,330
MZMozambique46,687.431,215
NANamibia33,302.5211,290
NENiger17,091.551,107
NGNigeria1,217,434.465,942
RWRwanda938,453.941,977
STSao Tome and Principe710,580.913,072
SNSenegal220,239.732,577
SCSeychelles6,068,131.8727,602
SLSierra Leone161,011.991,672
ZASouth Africa624,995.6913,225
SDSudan100,304.384,447
SZSwaziland653,766.419,776
TZTanzania172,619.023,080
TGTogo220,022.891,550
TNTunisia836,116.3711,634
UGUganda378,413.362,068
ZMZambia91,212.283,880

Sources

"Report for Selected Country Groups and Subjects (PPP Valuation of Country GDP)."  https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2017/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=43&pr.y=19&sy=2017&ey=2017&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512%2C672%2C914%2C946%2C612%2C137%2C614%2C546%2C311%2C962%2C213%2C674%2C911%2C676%2C193%2C548%2C122%2C556%2C912%2C678%2C313%2C181%2C419%2C867%2C513%2C682%2C316%2C684%2C913%2C273%2C124%2C868%2C339%2C921%2C638%2C948%2C514%2C943%2C218%2C686%2C963%2C688%2C616%2C518%2C223%2C728%2C516%2C558%2C918%2C138%2C748%2C196%2C618%2C278%2C624%2C692%2C522%2C694%2C622%2C142%2C156%2C449%2C626%2C564%2C628%2C565%2C228%2C283%2C924%2C853%2C233%2C288%2C632%2C293%2C636%2C566%2C634%2C964%2C238%2C182%2C662%2C359%2C960%2C453%2C423%2C968%2C935%2C922%2C128%2C714%2C611%2C862%2C321%2C135%2C243%2C716%2C248%2C456%2C469%2C722%2C253%2C942%2C642%2C718%2C643%2C724%2C939%2C576%2C644%2C936%2C819%2C961%2C172%2C813%2C132%2C199%2C646%2C733%2C648%2C184%2C915%2C524%2C134%2C361%2C652%2C362%2C174%2C364%2C328%2C732%2C258%2C366%2C656%2C734%2C654%2C144%2C336%2C146%2C263%2C463%2C268%2C528%2C532%2C923%2C944%2C738%2C176%2C578%2C534%2C537%2C536%2C742%2C429%2C866%2C433%2C369%2C178%2C744%2C436%2C186%2C136%2C925%2C343%2C869%2C158%2C746%2C439%2C926%2C916%2C466%2C664%2C112%2C826%2C111%2C542%2C298%2C967%2C927%2C443%2C846%2C917%2C299%2C544%2C582%2C941%2C474%2C446%2C754%2C666%2C698%2C668&s=PPPGDP&grp=0&a=.  International Monetary Fund.

Filed under: Correlations