In Latin America and the Caribbean, the association between household wealth and child survival is comparable to that of Asia, with a child from the richest quintile having a relative risk of only 70 per cent that for a child from the poorest quintile. Of the three regions, Africa is the region where the association between household wealth and child survival seems to be the lowest. This finding is consistent with the conclusion that household wealth has a substantial causal impact on levels of child mortality and may account for a large portion of the observed differentials. The knowledge and practices that could save the lives of children tend to be more prevalent among women with a level of education higher than primary.