Gender Equality, Development, and the Sex Gap in Mortality: A World View

Carla Medalia, University of Pennsylvania
Virginia W. Chang, University of Pennsylvania

While female life expectancy exceeds male life expectancy in almost every country throughout the world, the sex gap varies by level of development. This study examines the effect of gender equality on the sex gap in mortality in 124 highly and less developed countries. The findings show that greater gender equality is associated with divergence in the sex gap in adult mortality in less developed countries but convergence in highly developed countries. The divergence between male and female mortality in less developed countries is partly attributable to the stronger positive effect of gender equality on female than male mortality. Finally, convergence in the sex gap in mortality in highly developed countries is due to a more positive effect of gender equality on male mortality relative to female mortality.