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Educational attainment for women by years of education in relation to child mortality, by region and country (Global), 1970-2009

Rising education levels among women are saving children’s lives worldwide

Explore trends in educational attainment and child mortality in 21 regions in the world and 175 countries between 1970 and 2009. The data show how women of reproductive age (ages 15-44) have, overall, gained more education over those four decades while mortality in children under-5 has fallen. We estimate that 51.2% of the reduction in child mortality between 1970 and 2009 can be attributed to increased educational attainment in women of reproductive age. The data are presented in bubbles, columns, and lines. 
 
For more ideas how to explore go to the How to Visualize tab. 
 
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Global

Data Visualization

How to ExploreData StoriesTerms Defined
  • Click on one of the regions or countries in the drop-down menus to see their chart.
  • Compare the average years of education for women of reproductive age in yellow to the child mortality rate in blue.
  • By comparing the progress of Mali and Malawi, two countries with among the highest child mortality rates in the world in 1970, you can see the dramatic difference education of women in the reproductive age group can make. Choose “Under-5 Mortality (5q0)” on the left and “Education Women 15-44” on the bottom. Then select the boxes next to “Mali” and “Malawi.” Click the play button at the bottom left and you will see Mali slowly increasing its education levels and also making small improvements in child mortality. Malawi, by contrast, raises its educational levels more than 400% and drives its child mortality rate below 100, meaning that a child born in 2009 would have a 100 out of 1,000 chance of dying before age 5. 
 
  • See how high income countries have continued to drive down their child mortality while raising the educational levels of women by choosing “Under-5 Mortality (5q0) on the left and “Education Women 15-44” at the bottom. Then select the boxes next to “Japan” and “United States.” Click the play button at the bottom left and watch Japan move quickly to increase education levels for women and ultimately catch up with the United States in lowering its child mortality rate.
 
  • Y-axis on left: Average years of education
  • Y-axis on right: Under-5 mortality rate per 1,000 live births
  • Under 5 Mortality (5q0): Probability of death between birth and age 5, expressed as deaths per 1,000 live births.
  • Education Women 15-44: Average number of years of education for women of reproductive age.

Related Publications & Presentations

Research Articles

Gakidou E, Cowling K, Lozano R, Murray CJL. Increased educational attainment and its effect on child mortality in 175 countries between 1970 and 2009: a systematic analysis. The Lancet. 2010; 376:959–974.

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Related News & Events

News Releases Events
Rising education levels among women save children's lives worldwide
September 16, 2010

Women are advancing further in school than at any time in recent history, a trend that is having a tremendous impact on child mortality, according to new research from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.

 
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IHME Board of Directors convene for annual meeting
June 16-17, 2011
Seattle, WA, USA
Meeting

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