Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
This study uses the second National Family Health Survey of India to estimate the effect of state‐level public health spending on mortality across all age groups, controlling for individual, household, and state‐level covariates. We use a state's gross fiscal deficit as an instrument for its health spending. Our study shows a 10% increase in public spending on health in India decreases the average probability of death by about 2%, with effects mainly on the young, the elderly, and women. Other major factors affecting mortality are rural residence, household poverty, and access to toilet facilities. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.