The Matthew Effect in Maternal Mortality Decline around the World

Alejandro Aguirre, El Colegio de México
Fortino Vela Peón, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Xochimilco

Among the millennium development goals (MDG) is the one concerning the reduction of maternal mortality by three quarters between 1990 and 2015. This a fundamental issue in gender equality. This paper investigates whether the Matthew Effect occurs or not for maternal mortality decline, with the implication of widening the existing gap between developed and developing countries. The Matthew Effect is a phenomenon in which inequalities increase. It was initially labeled by Merton (1968) making reference to a biblical phrase: “Unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath” (Matthew 25:29). To evaluate this hypothesis we take the experience of around 180 countries from all over the world, and apply Spearman's correlation test to verify empirically if the Matthew Effect occurs or not.