An empirical study of socioeconomic determinants of crime in Malaysia

Abstract

The increasing trend in crime can act as a stumbling block to sustainable development. Therefore, the aim of this study is to delve into determinants of crime in Malaysia. This study analyses annual data ranging from 1982 to 2017 by employing the ARDL bounds testing approach. The results reveal that in the long-run, unemployment can negatively affect crime while labour force with tertiary education can positively affect crime. Moreover, this study ascertains that in both of the short run and long run, crime is negatively associated with female labour force. Thus, this study offers some important insights into formulating policies to combat crime in Malaysia.