How Do Remittances Affect Child Mortality at Different Levels of Mortality? Estimating Unconditional Quantile Treatment Effects on Three Leading Causes of Child Mortality

Abstract

There is an emerging view that remittances improve health outcomes in developing countries, though less is known about the conditions under which they may be effective. This study investigates whether and how the impact of remittances on child mortality depends on the level of mortality itself. Using a sample of 134 developing countries over the period 1990 to 2018, we estimate unconditional quantile treatment effects with an endogenous treatment variable, on aggregate child mortality and the three leading cause-specific child mortality rates: mortality from neonatal disorders, lower respiratory infections, and diarrheal diseases. We find that the impact of remittances differs systematically across the mortality distribution and across mortality indicators. Remittances appear less effective at reducing child mortality at the lowest and highest mortality rates than at the average.