Corruption and Inequality in Contraceptive Use

Arnstein Aassve, Bocconi University
Francesco Chiocchio , CEMFI
Francesco Gandolfi, UPF
Letizia Mencarini, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy

The paper assesses the role of corruption for unmet need of modern contraception in Sub-Saharan Africa, and by extension, its role in explaining persistently high fertility in the region. We construct a regional-level bribery measure from Afrobarometer survey data, while we use individual-level DHS data to measure contraception. The probability of using modern contraception is considerably lower when corruption is rife. Education plays an important role. Women with high education are always more likely to use modern contraception, but the interaction between corruption and education shows that corruption fosters social inequality, as the education-driven gap in the use of modern contraceptive methods widens when corruption is high

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 Presented in Session P3. Poster Session Migration, Economics, Environment, Methods, History and Policy