The Impact of the economic crisis on crime

With most nations around the world suffering from the global financial crisis, this report by the UN looks at the GFC\u27s effect on crime levels around the world. Within the context of the United Nations Global Pulse initiative on monitoring the impact of crisis onvulnerable populations, this report presents the results of a unique cross-national analysis that aims toinvestigate the possible effects of economic stress on crime. Using police-recorded crime data for the crimes ofintentional homicide, robbery and motor vehicle theft, from fifteen country or city contexts across the world,the analysis examines in particular the period of global financial crisis in 2008/2009. As economic crisis mayoccur over a relatively short timescale, this period, as well as – in many cases – up to 20 years previously, areexamined using high frequency (monthly) crime and economic data. The report finds that, whether in times of economic crisis or non-crisis, economic factors play an importantrole in the evolution of crime trends. Out of a total of fifteen countries examined, statistical modellingidentifies an economic predictor for at least one crime type in twelve countries (80 percent), suggesting someoverall association between economic changes and crime