Krahn H, Hartnagel TF, Gartrell JW. Income inequality and homicide rates: cross-national data and criminological theories. Criminology 1986; 24: 269-295

There appears to be a consensus on the association of income inequality and homicide rates. This paper reviews studies and explanations, including those focussing on: absolute deprivation, social disorganization, cultural foci, rational crime, collective violence, population density, and age distribution. It then suggests that relative deprivation explains this commonly found relationship. Multiple regression analysis shows that the effects of inequality on homicide are more pronounced in more democratic nations (where there is coexistence of high material inequality and an egalitarian value system), supporting the relative deprivation explanation. There are stronger effects in more densely populated countries, wealthier nations and in countries with larger internal security forces. 

Abstract

Previous studies have identified but failed to explain satisfactorily the positive relationship between income inequality and homicide rates. This paper proposes an explanation based on the concept of relative deprivation but also reviews the criminological literature in a search for other theoretically relevant variables. After assessing problems of sampling and measurement, and using a considerably larger sample than used in previous studies, multiple regression analyses reveal positive net effects of both inequality and population growth (reflecting a higher proportion of young people) on homicide rates. Further analyses show that the effects of inequality on homicide are more pronounced in more democratic nations, a finding supporting the relative deprivation explanation. Income inequality also has stronger effects in more densely populated countries, in wealthier nations, and in countries with larger internal security forces. 

keywords

• crime
• homicide
• income inequality
• international
• relative deprivation