-0.41 for 65 countries with data in 2015 (most recent year)

That doesn't mean it isn't spurious. Spurious just means that there isn't a causal relation between the two variables (in either direction).

Check the wiki page; there are some examples there that will make the argument about as eloquently as HN comments.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spurious_correlation

ah got it, thanks for the link