Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Countries/Archive 14/Synth issue worksheet

Per the discussion at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Countries, all of these articles contain a table of demographic data broken down by county or region, along with a column labeled, "Equivalent country" or "Comparable country", where the GDP (or HDI) of a given region or county is compared with the GDP/HDI of some other country in the world; for example, in the "Sweden" article, the county of "Stockholm" was compared to the GDP of the Dominican Republic, as the two apparently have a similar GDP. However, this country-comparison column is WP:Original research, because no source contains this comparison; it is an invention of the Wikipedia editor who added the column.

Here is a (non-exhaustive) list of articles that may need attention for WP:SYNTH issues of this type:

August 2022
1.

2. ✔️ Comparison between Indian states and countries by GDP (PPP)

3. ✔️ Demographics of Pakistan

4. ✔️ Economy of Indonesia

5. ✔️ List of administrative divisions of Greater China by Human Development Index

6. ✔️ List of administrative divisions of Myanmar by Human Development Index

7. ✔️ List of administrative divisions of Vietnam by Human Development Index

8. ✔️ List of administrative units of Pakistan by Human Development Index

9. ✔️ List of Algerian regions by Human Development Index

10. ✔️ List of Argentine provinces by Human Development Index

11. ✔️ List of Armenian provinces by Human Development Index

12. ✔️ List of Australian states and territories by Human Development Index

13. ✔️ List of Austrian states by Human Development Index

14. ✔️ List of Belgian provinces by Human Development Index

15. ✔️ List of Bolivian departments by Human Development Index

16. ✔️ List of Brazilian federative units by gross regional product

17. ✔️ List of Brazilian states by life expectancy

18. ✔️ List of Brazilian states by literacy rate

19. ✔️ List of Bulgarian provinces by GDP

20. ✔️ List of Bulgarian regions by Human Development Index

21. ✔️ List of Cambodian provinces by Human Development Index

22. ✔️ List of Canadian provinces and territories by gross domestic product

23. ✔️ List of Canadian provinces and territories by Human Development Index

24. ✔️ List of Canadian provinces and territories by life expectancy

25. ✔️ List of ceremonial counties in England by gross value added

26. ✔️ List of Chinese administrative divisions by GDP

27. ✔️ List of Chinese administrative divisions by GDP per capita

28. ✔️ List of Chinese administrative divisions by population

29. ✔️ List of cities in Argentina by population

30. ✔️ List of cities in China by life expectancy

31. ✔️ List of Colombian departments by Human Development Index

32. ✔️ List of Costa Rican provinces by Human Development Index

33. ✔️ List of counties of Albania by Human Development Index

34. ✔️ List of counties of Kenya by GDP

35. ✔️ List of Croatian counties by Human Development Index

36. ✔️ List of Cuban provinces by Human Development Index

37. ✔️ List of Czech regions by GDP

38. ✔️ List of Czech regions by Human Development Index

39. ✔️ List of Danish regions by Human Development Index

40. ✔️ List of departments of Benin by Human Development Index

41. ✔️ List of departments of Haiti by Human Development Index

42. ✔️ List of departments of the Republic of the Congo by Human Development Index

43. ✔️ List of districts in Tamil Nadu by Human Development Index

44. ✔️ List of districts of Belize by Human Development Index

45. ✔️ List of districts of Bhutan by Human Development Index

46. ✔️ List of districts of Botswana by Human Development Index

47. ✔️ List of districts of Kosovo by Human Development Index

48. ✔️ List of districts of Lesotho by Human Development Index

49. ✔️ List of districts of Sierra Leone by Human Development Index

50. ✔️ List of districts of West Bengal

51. ✔️ List of Ecuadorian provinces by Human Development Index

52. ✔️ List of Eritrean regions by Human Development Index

53. ✔️ List of Ethiopian regions by Human Development Index

54. ✔️ List of federal subjects of Russia by GDP per capita

55. ✔️ List of federal subjects of Russia by Human Development Index

56. ✔️ List of Finnish regions by GDP

57. ✔️ List of Finnish regions by Human Development Index

58. ✔️ List of French regions and overseas collectivities by GDP

59. ✔️ List of French regions and overseas departments by GRP per capita

60. ✔️ List of French regions by Human Development Index

61. ✔️ List of Gabonese provinces by Human Development Index

62. ✔️ List of Georgian regions by Human Development Index

63. ✔️ List of German states by GRP

64. ✔️ List of German states by GRP per capita

65. ✔️ List of German states by Human Development Index

66. ✔️ List of Ghanaian regions by Human Development Index

67. ✔️ List of governorates of Egypt by Human Development Index

68. ✔️ List of Governorates of Iraq by Human Development Index

69. ✔️ List of Greek regions by Human Development Index

70. ✔️ List of Guyanese regions by Human Development Index

71. ✔️ List of Honduran departments by Human Development Index

72. ✔️ List of Hungarian counties by GDP

73. ✔️ List of Hungarian regions by Human Development Index

74. ✔️ List of Indian states and union territories by GDP

75. ✔️ List of Indian states and union territories by GDP per capita

76. ✔️ List of Indian states and union territories by Human Development Index

77. ✔️ List of Indonesian provinces by GDP

78. ✔️ List of Indonesian provinces by GRP per capita

79. ✔️ List of Iranian provinces by Human Development Index

80. ✔️ List of Irish regions by Human Development Index

81. ✔️ List of islands of the Comoros by Human Development Index

82. ✔️ List of Italian regions by GRP per capita

83. ✔️ List of Italian regions by Human Development Index

84. ✔️ List of Japanese prefectures by GDP per capita

85. ✔️ List of Japanese prefectures by Human Development Index

86. ✔️ List of Jordanian governorates by Human Development Index

87. ✔️ List of Liberian counties by Human Development Index

88. ✔️ List of local government areas of the Gambia by Human Development Index

89. ✔️ List of Malaysian states by Human Development Index

90. ✔️ List of Mauritanian regions by Human Development Index

91. ✔️ List of Mexican states by GDP

92. ✔️ List of Mexican states by Human Development Index

93. ✔️ List of Mongolian provinces by GDP

94. ✔️ List of municipalities of East Timor by Human Development Index

95. ✔️ List of Namibian regions by Human Development Index

96. ✔️ List of Nepalese provinces by Human Development Index

97. ✔️ List of Nigerian states by Human Development Index

98. ✔️ List of Norwegian counties by GDP

99. ✔️ List of Norwegian regions by Human Development Index

100. ✔️ List of Philippine provinces and regions by Human Development Index

101. ✔️ List of Polish voivodeships by GRP

102. ✔️ List of Polish voivodeships by Human Development Index

103. ✔️ List of Portuguese administrative divisions by GDP

104. ✔️ List of Portuguese regions by Human Development Index

105. ✔️ List of provinces and indigenous regions of Panama by Human Development Index

106. ✔️ List of prefectures of the Central African Republic by Human Development Index

107. ✔️ List of provinces of Angola by Human Development Index

108. ✔️ List of provinces of Equatorial Guinea by Human Development Index

109. ✔️ List of provinces of Kenya by Human Development Index

110. ✔️ List of provinces of Laos by Human Development Index

111. ✔️ List of provinces of Mozambique by Human Development Index

112. ✔️ List of provinces of Papua New Guinea by Human Development Index

113. ✔️ List of provinces of Rwanda by Human Development Index

114. ✔️ List of provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by Human Development Index

115. ✔️ List of provinces of the Netherlands by Human Development Index

116. ✔️ List of regions of Afghanistan by Human Development Index

117. ✔️ List of regions of Azerbaijan by Human Development Index

118. ✔️ List of regions of Baltic States by Human Development Index

119. ✔️ List of regions of Bangladesh by Human Development Index

120. ✔️ List of regions of Barbados by Human Development Index

121. ✔️ List of regions of Belarus by Human Development Index

122. ✔️ List of regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Human Development Index

123. ✔️ List of regions of Burkina Faso by Human Development Index

124. ✔️ List of regions of Burundi by Human Development Index

125. ✔️ List of regions of Cameroon by Human Development Index

126. ✔️ List of regions of Eswatini by Human Development Index

127. ✔️ List of regions of Guatemala by Human Development Index

128. ✔️ List of regions of Guinea by Human Development Index

129. ✔️ List of regions of Guinea-Bissau by Human Development Index

130. ✔️ List of regions of Jamaica by Human Development Index

131. ✔️ List of regions of Kazakhstan by Human Development Index

132. ✔️ List of regions of Kuwait by Human Development Index

133. ✔️ List of regions of Kyrgyzstan by Human Development Index

134. ✔️ List of regions of Lebanon by Human Development Index

135. ✔️ List of regions of Libya by Human Development Index

136. ✔️ List of regions of Madagascar by Human Development Index

137. ✔️ List of regions of Mali by Human Development Index

138. ✔️ List of regions of Moldova by Human Development Index

139. ✔️ List of regions of Mongolia by Human Development Index

140. ✔️ List of regions of Montenegro by Human Development Index

141. ✔️ List of regions of Morocco by Human Development Index

142. ✔️ List of regions of New Zealand by Human Development Index

143. ✔️ List of regions of Nicaragua by Human Development Index

144. ✔️ List of regions of Niger by Human Development Index

145. ✔️ List of regions of North Macedonia by Human Development Index

146. ✔️ List of regions of Palestine by Human Development Index

147. ✔️ List of regions of Paraguay by Human Development Index

148. ✔️ List of regions of Peru by GDP

149. ✔️ List of regions of Peru by Human Development Index

150. ✔️ List of regions of Saudi Arabia by Human Development Index

151. ✔️ List of regions of Somalia by Human Development Index

152. ✔️ List of regions of South Korea by Human Development Index

153. ✔️ List of regions of Switzerland by Human Development Index

154. ✔️ List of regions of Tajikistan by Human Development Index

155. ✔️ List of regions of Tanzania by GDP

156. ✔️ List of regions of Tanzania by Human Development Index

157. ✔️ List of regions of the Dominican Republic by Human Development Index

158. ✔️ List of regions of the Philippines by GDP

159. ✔️ List of regions of the United Kingdom by GRP

160. ✔️ List of regions of the United Kingdom by GRP per capita

161. ✔️ List of regions of the United Kingdom by Human Development Index

162. ✔️ List of regions of Trinidad and Tobago by Human Development Index

163. ✔️ List of regions of Tunisia by Human Development Index

164. ✔️ List of regions of Turkmenistan by Human Development Index

165. ✔️ List of regions of Uganda by Human Development Index

166. ✔️ List of regions of Uruguay by Human Development Index

167. ✔️ List of regions of Uzbekistan by Human Development Index

168. ✔️ List of regions of Yemen by Human Development Index

169. ✔️ List of Romanian counties by GDP

170. ✔️ List of Romanian regions by Human Development Index

171. ✔️ List of Russian federal subjects by GRP

172. ✔️ List of Senegalese regions by Human Development Index

173. ✔️ List of Serbian regions by GDP

174. ✔️ List of Serbian regions by Human Development Index

175. ✔️ List of Slovak regions by GDP

176. ✔️ List of Slovak regions by Human Development Index

177. ✔️ List of Slovenian regions by Human Development Index

178. ✔️ List of South African provinces by gross domestic product

179. ✔️ List of South African provinces by gross domestic product per capita

180. ✔️ List of South African provinces by Human Development Index

181. ✔️ List of South Korean regions by GDP

182. ✔️ List of Spanish autonomous communities by gross domestic product

183. ✔️ List of Spanish autonomous communities by Human Development Index

184. ✔️ List of states and union territories of India by area

185. ✔️ List of states and union territories of India by population

186. ✔️ List of states of South Sudan by Human Development Index

187. ✔️ List of Sudanese states by Human Development Index

188. ✔️ List of Swedish counties by GDP

189. ✔️ List of Swedish regions by Human Development Index

190. ✔️ List of Swiss cantons by GRP

191. ✔️ List of the largest country subdivisions by area

192. ✔️ List of Togolese regions by Human Development Index

193. ✔️ List of Turkish provinces by GDP

194. ✔️ List of Turkish regions by Human Development Index

195. ✔️ List of U.S. states and territories by Human Development Index

196. ✔️ List of U.S. states and territories by life expectancy

197. ✔️ List of Ukrainian oblasts and territories by area

198. ✔️ List of Ukrainian regions by Human Development Index

199. ✔️ List of Vietnamese regions by Human Development Index

200. ✔️ List of Zambian provinces by Human Development Index

201. ✔️ List of Zimbabwean provinces by Human Development Index

202. ✔️ Provinces of Zambia

203. ✔️ Ranked list of French regions

204. ✔️ Ranked list of Paraguayan departments

205. ✔️ Ranked lists of Chilean regions

206. ✔️ Ranked lists of Spanish autonomous communities

207. ✔️ Regions of Tanzania

208. ✔️ Regions of Thailand

209. ✔️ States of Venezuela

210. ✔️ West Java

211. ✔️ West Sumatra

June 2024
 1.

2. ✔️ List of administrative divisions of Vietnam by Human Development Index

3. ✔️ List of administrative units of Pakistan by Human Development Index

4. ✔️ List of districts of Botswana by Human Development Index

5. ✔️ List of federal subjects of Russia by Human Development Index

6. ✔️ List of Georgian regions by Human Development Index

7. ✔️ List of German states by Human Development Index

8. ✔️ List of Indian states by infant mortality rate

9. ✔️ List of Malaysian states by Human Development Index

10. ✔️ List of regions of Bangladesh by Human Development Index

11. ✔️ List of regions of Niger by Human Development Index

12. ✔️ List of Ukrainian regions by Human Development Index

13. Provinces of Fiji

14. Regions of Thailand

Please check the box after fixing any SYNTH issue.

Methodology
The tables usually involve four columns, of which the fourth is a "comparable country" column. Generally, the fix involves three things:


 * 1) Remove the header cell which contains the term Comparable country (or similar expression like Equivalent country etc.) and the source reference included with it.
 * 2) Certain cells occupy the whole row, that is, they span the whole width of the table. If the table is four columns, you'll find something like    The "4" needs to be changed to "3" (or whatever one less than the previous number of table columns would be).
 * 3) In rows that have an individual cell in the last column (i.e., not a colspan), the cell needs to be removed. Typically it contains a country name template (like ) or a flag (like ), sometimes a flag icon (like ). It may be preceded by a rowspan (when two adjacent rows have the same country name in the last column), or by a style statement; these need to be taken into account. The last cell in a table is always followed by a new row delimiter (, usually by itself, but could have a style attribute), so you can look for a country or flag template, followed by  on the next line.

If you normally use the source editor, try the Visual Editor, which has tools for removing columns from tables.

Some "comparable" expressions: Comparable country, Comparable countries, Comparable economy, Equivalent country, Country similar in area, Country/Indian state, Country comparison, Countries of comparable size, Comparable entity/-ies.

Find candidates
These are all list articles, so you can search for "List of" along with some of the other strings frequently seen, like, "List of * by Human Development Index", or "List of * by GDP", and so on.

You can also target just list articles that have tables in them, plus the string "comparable country" or "equivalent country" that appears in the header of the column that normally should be deleted, like this (ideally, all of these links should show no search results):


 * insource:"Comparable country" insource:"wikitable sortable" intitle:"List of"


 * insource:"Equivalent country" insource:"wikitable sortable" intitle:"List of"


 * Both country + plural, drop "List of": insource:/Comparable countr[eisy*/ insource:"wikitable sortable" intitle:"by" ]

Note that if an "insource" search returns a result for an article, but upon viewing it, there doesn't appear to be such a column, you should investigate further. The article may contain the table embedded within html hidden comment delimiters, those columns should be removed as well. This was the case, for example, in List of Indonesian provinces by GDP, through revision 1105861293‎ of 22 August 2022.

As of 1 September 2022, all three searches above come up empty, so it may be that all articles are repaired, or at least, any that are left don't fit the pattern.