GOVERNANCE IN RELATION TO INFANT MORTALITY RATE: EVIDENCE FROM AROUND THE WORLD

ABSTRACT ** :  Governance is estimated to have a significant negative effect on the infant mortality rate based on a sample of 112 countries. The sample contains both developed and developing nations. The estimated magnitude of the effect is not significantly different between female and male infant mortality rate. Furthermore, we investigate whether governance is the preferred predictor of infant mortality rate compared to relative income. Though the statistical results are not conclusive, there is more evidence in favour of the governance indicator .