Out-of-pocket expenditure and maternal mortality nexus in China: implication for the Sustainable Development Goal 3

The global maternal mortality rate has remained alarmingly high over the years. Meanwhile, socioeconomic factors such out-of-pocket expenditure, in contributing to maternal mortality remains a subject of interest. There is a scarcity of recent empirical studies that delve into the influence of out-of-pocket expenses on maternal mortality in China. Thus, this study examines the nexus between out-of-pocket expenditure and maternal mortality in China from 2000 to 2021. The data for the study was extracted from the World Development Indicators, and a Fully modified ordinary least squares was utilized to estimate the objective of the study with the following submissions; out-of-pocket expenditure and maternal mortality have a significant positive relationship in China. GDP per capita growth and maternal mortality have a significant negative relationship in China. Therefore, if the policymakers in China desire to meet the SDG 3 by reducing maternal mortality to 70 deaths per 100,000 live births, policies such as health insurance scheme should be implemented in the country for women of reproductive age. This would likely reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure and maternal mortality rate in the country.