Income Inequality and Child Survival in Bangladesh

Sheikh M. Giashuddin, Jagannath University
Mohammad Kabir, Jahangirnagar University

The aim of this study is to examine the socioeconomic causes of inequalities in child survival between poor and better-off children. Data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys (BDHSs) are used for the study. In this study, quintiles were calculated on the basis of household assets and wealth score by use of principle component analysis. The poorest-richest ratio of infant mortality was 1.3 in 1993-1994, whereas this ratio was 1.6 and 1.6 for 1999-2000 and 2007 BDHSs, indicating that the gap between poor and rich has widened. This is also supported by the values of Concentration Index (CI). All are significantly different from zero of conventional levels. The absolute value of CI inequalities in child survival increased over time. The probit regression analysis indicates that infants mortality of the richest quintile was significantly lower than that of the poorest quintile. Due to existing socioeconomic differentials in Bangladesh, the poor children are more vulnerable to mortality.