ABSTRACT

The idea that the incidence of crime may be related to the state of the economy, and particularly to the level of unemployment, has caused considerable debate, both amongst academics and politicians. This chapter examines the association between crime and economic activity in an attempt to resolve this important policy issue. It begins by considering possible reasons why crime might be related to the economy, before surveying the evidence from studies linking crime to economic circumstances. The chapter presents some results, obtained using annual data for England and Wales, concerning the relationship between economic factors and the incidence of residential burglary. As a whole, survey of the literature relating economic factors to crime, provides only weak support for the simple economic models of crime which see high unemployment low incomes as major factors causing crime. The idea that crime and economic conditions may be linked is hardly new.