DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF VIOLENT CRIME AND INCOME INEQUALITY IN AFRICA

Study provides empirical evidence on the crime-inequality nexus in Africa using a panel data of 38 countries from 2007-2012. Using the pooled ordinary least squares and difference-GMM, results reveal that inequality aggravates violent crime, rule of law has a reducing effect on violent crime, death penalty is not a deterrent factor, increase in urban population contributes to rising crime, primary education has a reducing impact, unemployment aggravates violent crime, and homicide rate is higher in Southern Africa while lower in North Africa relative to West Africa. However, homicide rate does not seem to be counter-cyclical, and criminal inertia is not significant