Determinants of Property Crime in the South Caucasus - Empirical Analysis
This article aims to identify the socioeconomic factors affecting the level of property crime (theft, robbery, robbery) in the South Caucasus countries (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia). The number of registered crimes in 1997-2018, the crime rate, and the economic, social, and demographic/geographical variables with potential impact are analyzed. A GMM estimator is used directly for analysis. The research results showed that past crime levels and urbanization positively affect property crime. And, negative - the crime rate and the real salary change. As for the other socioeconomic variables used in the empirical analysis, in their case, no statistically significant relationship is confirmed, which can be explained by the level of economic development of these countries.
Note: The full document is available only in Georgian.
photo credit: Oliver Gal