CorrelateAI › Pairs
US Electricity Generation vs US Federal Debt Outstanding
US Electricity Generation and US Federal Debt Outstanding correlate at r = +0.74 over 41 years (1985–2025), p < 0.0001. With the time trend removed, r = -0.65. Direction flips without the trend.
Verdict: Direction flips without the trend. The raw correlation is 0.74, but once each series' time trend is removed it becomes -0.65. The year-to-year movements run the opposite way to the long-run trends, so the headline number is misleading.
- Pearson r
- +0.74
- p-value
- < 0.0001
- Years compared (n)
- 41 (1985–2025)
- 95% confidence interval
- 0.57 to 0.86
- Correlation with the time trend removed
- -0.65
Sources
- US Electricity Generation (TWh): Our World in Data. US Electricity Generation (Our World in Data: Total electricity).
- US Federal Debt Outstanding (USD): U.S. Treasury. Total US federal debt outstanding at the end of each fiscal year (U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data).
Related pairs
- US Renewable Energy Share vs US Federal Debt Outstanding (r = +0.99)
- US Wind Power Generation vs US Federal Debt Outstanding (r = +0.99)
- US Electricity Generation vs US Infant Mortality (r = -0.97)
- US Federal Debt Outstanding vs US GDP (current US$) (r = +0.97)
- US Federal Debt Outstanding vs US GDP per Capita (r = +0.95)
- Atmospheric Methane (global) vs US Federal Debt Outstanding (r = +0.95)
Correlation does not imply causation. How the verdict is worked out.