Impact of Female Education on Child Mortality Rates in Developing Countries

Abstract

Despite continuous efforts by government and the international community to reduce child mortality, under-five child mortality rates remain high in developing countries. This policy brief examines the impact of females’ primary and secondary education on under-five child mortality. Using evidence from the World Bank, the study finds that secondary school enrollment is negatively associated with child mortality, and that this negative association is statistically significant only for countries with GDP per capita less than $5,000. The relationship between primary school enrollment and child mortality is also negative but not statistically significant when the White robust standard errors are used.