Causal impacts of government social expenditure on infant mortality in Latin America and the Caribbean
New evidence from 1990–2017 data

Publication date: 9
Publication series:
Innocenti Working Papers
No. of pages: 44
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Abstract
Does governments’ social spending reduce infant mortality? If so, what are the causal mechanisms behind this effect? Using evidence from 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (1990 to 2017), this paper examines various influences – including decreased income inequality and dependence on natural resources – to determine if and how increased public expenditure in the social sector is causally linked with reduced infant mortality.
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English