The Impact of Socioeconomic Determinants on Infant Mortality: An Analytical Approach

Abstract

Investigating the impact of socioeconomic factors on infant mortality rates (IMRs) is of key importance to sustainable economic development. The lack of global studies is notable, with previous publications exploring these relationships only in specific regions or countries. Utilizing data from the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO), we fit a multiple linear regression model to examine the impact of individual variables such as the number of doctors per 1000 people, female literacy rate over 15 years, corruption index, and health expenditure per capita. Our findings reveal significant relationships between the natural logarithm of IMR and the natural logarithm of health expenditure per capita, as well as the number of doctors, suggesting that higher levels of health care expenditure and greater availability of medical workers significantly influence the level of infant mortality rates globally. This research deepens the understanding of the multifaceted determinants of IMR and highlights the importance of targeted interventions to improve health care. Consequently, policymakers and stakeholders can develop more effective strategies to promote long-term sustainable economic development and improve infant health outcomes.