Estimating the Effect of Living Standards on Childhood Mortality in Rural Malawi

Henry V. Doctor, University of Pennsylvania

Using longitudinal household survey data from rural Malawi, I estimate the relationship between household living standards and child mortality. I proxy living standards by constructing a linear index from household asset ownership indicators, using principal-components analysis to derive weights. In rural Malawi, this index is robust to the assets included and the results are consistent with earlier studies on the negative relationship between wealth and child mortality. The results show differentials in child mortality between “rich” and “poor” households. On average, a child from a “rich” household is less likely to die than a child from a “poor” household, but this relationship is not consistent in the two rounds of survey. There are also strong variations at the regional level. Children from the northern region are less likely to die than those from the southern region and no differences exist between central and southern regions in terms of child survival.