What does a negative Pearson correlation coefficient indicate about two variables?

A negative Pearson correlation coefficient indicates an inverse relationship between two variables. Specifically, it signifies that as the value of one variable increases, the value of the other variable tends to decrease.1

The coefficient, denoted as r, ranges from −1 to +1. A value of −1 represents a perfect negative linear relationship, while values closer to 0 indicate a weaker linear association. It is important to note that while this measure of association quantifies the strength and direction of a linear relationship, it does not imply causation. Researchers must exercise careful judgment when interpreting these results to avoid drawing erroneous conclusions about cause-and-effect.1