THE EFFECT OF ECONOMIC GROWTH, UNEMPLOYMENT, POPULATION, AND POVERTY ON CRIME IN INDONESIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29103/icofeb.v3i1.1291Abstract
This study examines the effect of economic growth, unemployment, population size, and poverty on crime rates in Indonesia. The research employs panel data from 15 Indonesian provinces with the highest crime rates over the period 2013–2022 and applies a fixed effect panel data regression model. The results show that economic growth and poverty have a positive and significant effect on criminality, while population size has a negative and significant effect. Meanwhile, unemployment has a negative but statistically insignificant effect on crime rates. Simultaneously, economic growth, unemployment, population size, and poverty significantly influence criminality in Indonesia. These findings indicate that economic growth alone does not necessarily reduce crime if it is not accompanied by equitable income distribution and effective poverty alleviation. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence from high-crime provinces in Indonesia using a panel data approach in the post-pandemic period. The results offer important policy implications for promoting inclusive economic growth, strengthening poverty reduction programs, and designing integrated crime prevention strategies.
References
REFERENCES
Achim, M. V., Borlea, S. N., & Văidean, V. L. (2021). Does Technology Matter For Combating Economic And Financial Crime? A Panel Data Study. Technological And Economic Development Of Economy, 27(1), 223–261. Https://Doi.Org/10.3846/Tede.2021.13977
Ahmadi, A. (2022). Study Of Criminal Psychology In Indonesian Literature. International Journal Of Criminology And Sociology, 9, 1285–1291. Https://Doi.Org/10.6000/1929-4409.2020.09.147
Alenda-Demoutiez, J., & Mügge, D. (2020). The Lure Of Ill-Fitting Unemployment Statistics: How South Africa’s Discouraged Work Seekers Disappeared From The Unemployment Rate. New Political Economy, 25(4), 590–606. Https://Doi.Org/10.1080/13563467.2019.1613355
Anata, F. (2013). Tingkat Kriminalitas ( Studi Pada 31 Provinsi Di Indonesia Tahun. Universitas Brawijaya.
Angkasawati, A. (2024). The Impact Of Modernization On Social And Cultural Values: A Basic Social And Cultural Sciences Review. International Journal Of Education, Vocational And Social Science, 3(04), 56–65. Https://Doi.Org/10.63922/Ijevss.V3i04.1228
Anser, M. K., Yousaf, Z., Nassani, A. A., Alotaibi, S. M., Kabbani, A., & Zaman, K. (2020). Dynamic Linkages Between Poverty, Inequality, Crime, And Social Expenditures In A Panel Of 16 Countries: Two-Step Gmm Estimates. Journal Of Economic Structures, 9(1), 43. Https://Doi.Org/10.1186/S40008-020-00220-6
Bansal, H., Badiye, A., Tandan, R., & Kapoor, N. (2023). Crime And Society: An Introduction To Criminology. In Textbook Of Forensic Science (Pp. 1–40). Springer Nature Singapore. Https://Doi.Org/10.1007/978-981-99-1377-0_1
Bayoumi, I., Parkin, P. C., Martin, M., Keown-Stoneman, C. D. G., Birken, C. S., Maguire, J. L., & Borkhoff, C. M. (2025). Connecting Families: Poverty Screening And Financial Support Navigation For Families Of Young Children In Primary Care: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Academic Pediatrics, 25(5), 102820. Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/J.Acap.2025.102820
Blustein, D. L., & Guarino, P. A. (2020). Work And Unemployment In The Time Of Covid-19: The Existential Experience Of Loss And Fear. Journal Of Humanistic Psychology, 60(5), 702–709. Https://Doi.Org/10.1177/0022167820934229
Bouchard, M. (2020). Collaboration And Boundaries In Organized Crime: A Network Perspective. Crime And Justice, 49, 425–469. Https://Doi.Org/10.1086/708435
Bps. (2025). Laju Pertumbuhan Penduduk - Tabel Statistik.
Brouwers, E. P. M. (2020). Social Stigma Is An Underestimated Contributing Factor To Unemployment In People With Mental Illness Or Mental Health Issues: Position Paper And Future Directions. Bmc Psychology, 8(1), 36. Https://Doi.Org/10.1186/S40359-020-00399-0
De Nadai, M., Xu, Y., Letouzé, E., González, M. C., & Lepri, B. (2020). Socio-Economic, Built Environment, And Mobility Conditions Associated With Crime: A Study Of Multiple Cities. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 13871. Https://Doi.Org/10.1038/S41598-020-70808-2
Dong, B., Egger, P. H., & Guo, Y. (2020). Is Poverty The Mother Of Crime? Evidence From Homicide Rates In China. Plos One, 15(5), E0233034. Https://Doi.Org/10.1371/Journal.Pone.0233034
Exbrayat, N., & Stephane, V. (2025). Does Urbanization Cause Crime? Evidence From Rural–Urban Migration In South Africa. Journal Of Urban Economics, 149(May). Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/J.Jue.2025.103787
Gehrsitz, M., & Ungerer, M. (2022). Jobs, Crime And Votes: A Short‐Run Evaluation Of The Refugee Crisis In Germany. Economica, 89(355), 592–626. Https://Doi.Org/10.1111/Ecca.12420
Geng, H. (2022). The Relationship Between Human Capital And Economic Growth Beyond Logarithmic Production Function. Advances In Multimedia, 2022, 1–9. Https://Doi.Org/10.1155/2022/6554127
Hall, R. E., & Kudlyak, M. (2022). The Unemployed With Jobs And Without Jobs. Labour Economics, 79, 102244. Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/J.Labeco.2022.102244
Haque, I. E., & Muniruzzaman, M. (2020). Impoverished Living Conditions And Crime In Society: A Study On Prisoners At Jamalpur District Jail, Bangladesh. Open Journal Of Social Sciences, 08(03), 33–51. Https://Doi.Org/10.4236/Jss.2020.83005
Hariyantia, F. N., Purtomo S, R., & Wilantari, R. N. (2021). The Effect Of Economic Growth And Demographic Condition On Criminality In East Java Province. Jurnal Ekonomi Dan Bisnis Airlangga, 31(1), 28. Https://Doi.Org/10.20473/Jeba.V31i12021.28-39
Hasan, M. K., & Khatun, M. (2020). The Investigation Of The Rising Crime And The Reason For People To Indulge In The Crime In Bangladesh. Advances In Applied Sociology, 10(10), 421–434. Https://Doi.Org/10.4236/Aasoci.2020.1010024
Hung, J. (2024). Sociological And Policy Examination Of Poverty-Led Crime In Indonesia: Case Study Of (Child) Prostitution. Journal Of Poverty, 1–22. Https://Doi.Org/10.1080/10875549.2024.2379766
Johnson, B. R. (2021). How Religion Contributes To The Common Good, Positive Criminology, And Justice Reform. Religions, 12(6), 402. Https://Doi.Org/10.3390/Rel12060402
Jonathan, O. E., Olusola, A. J., Bernadin, T. C. A., & Inoussa, T. M. (2021). Impacts Of Crime On Socio-Economic Development. Mediterranean Journal Of Social Sciences, 12(5), 71. Https://Doi.Org/10.36941/Mjss-2021-0045
Kamal Ahamed, V. (2021). Defining The Concept Of Crime: A Sociological Perspective. Ssrn Electronic Journal. Https://Doi.Org/10.2139/Ssrn.3864739
Karpavicius, T., Stavytskyy, A., Giedraitis, V. R., Ulvidienė, E., Kharlamova, G., & Kavaliauskaite, B. (2024). What Determines The Crime Rate? A Macroeconomic Case Study. Economies, 12(9), 250. Https://Doi.Org/10.3390/Economies12090250
Kassahun, T., Tessema, A., & Adbib, K. (2022). Analysis Of Rural Household Food And Non‐Food Poverty Status In Ethiopia: The Case Study From Meskan District. Food And Energy Security, 11(2). Https://Doi.Org/10.1002/Fes3.363
Lee, C.-M. (2023). Criminal Behavior And Contingency. Frontiers In Psychology, 14. Https://Doi.Org/10.3389/Fpsyg.2023.1209619
Leijen, I., Van Herk, H., & Bardi, A. (2022). Individual And Generational Value Change In An Adult Population, A 12-Year Longitudinal Panel Study. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 17844. Https://Doi.Org/10.1038/S41598-022-22862-1
Liu, M., Feng, X., Wang, S., & Qiu, H. (2020). China’s Poverty Alleviation Over The Last 40 Years: Successes And Challenges. Australian Journal Of Agricultural And Resource Economics, 64(1), 209–228. Https://Doi.Org/10.1111/1467-8489.12353
Lojanica, N., & Obradović, S. (2020). Does Unemployment Lead To Criminal Activities?: An Empirical Analysis Of Cee Economies. The European Journal Of Applied Economics, 17(1), 104–112. Https://Doi.Org/10.5937/Ejae17-23673
Mengesha, Z. D., & Singh, L. (2023). Human Capital Accumulation And Economic Growth Of Ethiopian Economy. African Journal Of Science, Technology, Innovation And Development, 15(2), 211–226. Https://Doi.Org/10.1080/20421338.2022.2062652
Menyhert, B. (2024). Absolute Poverty Measurement With Minimum Food Needs: A New Inverse Method For Advanced Economies. Social Indicators Research, 174(1), 313–351. Https://Doi.Org/10.1007/S11205-024-03368-X
Mseleku, Z. (2022). Youth High Unemployment/Unemployability In South Africa: The Unemployed Graduates’ Perspectives. Higher Education, Skills And Work-Based Learning, 12(4), 775–790. Https://Doi.Org/10.1108/Heswbl-06-2021-0114
Nairobi, N., Firdaus, M. A., & Afif, F. Y. (2021). Criminality And Economic Growth Province In Indonesian. Jurnal Perspektif Pembiayaan Dan Pembangunan Daerah, 9(4), 313–320. Https://Doi.Org/10.22437/Ppd.V9i4.13408
Nisa, W. K., Simanjuntak, V. I., Kartika, S., & Fadila, A. (2024). Pengaruh Tingkat Kemiskinan Terhadap Tingkat Tindak Kriminalitas Di Indonesia Tahun 2022. Jurnal Akuntansi, Manajemen, Dan Perencanaan Kebijakan, 1(3), 1–9. Https://Doi.Org/10.47134/Jampk.V1i3.220
Ogbeifun, L., & Shobande, O. A. (2022). A Reevaluation Of Human Capital Accumulation And Economic Growth In Oecd. Journal Of Public Affairs, 22(4). Https://Doi.Org/10.1002/Pa.2602
Onyeneke, C. C., & Karam, A. H. (2022). An Exploratory Study Of Crime: Examining Lived Experiences Of Crime Through Socioeconomic, Demographic, And Physical Characteristics. Urban Science, 6(3), 43. Https://Doi.Org/10.3390/Urbansci6030043
Ozili, P. K., Ademiju, A., & Rachid, S. (2023). Impact Of Financial Inclusion On Economic Growth: Review Of Existing Literature And Directions For Future Research. International Journal Of Social Economics, 50(8), 1105–1122. Https://Doi.Org/10.1108/Ijse-05-2022-0339
Pratap, P., Dickson, A., Love, M., Zanoni, J., Donato, C., Flynn, M. A., & Schulte, P. A. (2021). Public Health Impacts Of Underemployment And Unemployment In The United States: Exploring Perceptions, Gaps And Opportunities. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health, 18(19), 10021. Https://Doi.Org/10.3390/Ijerph181910021
Prilleltensky, I. (2020). Mattering At The Intersection Of Psychology, Philosophy, And Politics. American Journal Of Community Psychology, 65(1–2), 16–34. Https://Doi.Org/10.1002/Ajcp.12368
Refugia, J. (2021). Employment Status And The Challenges Encountered By Criminology Graduates. International Journal Of Educational Management And Development Studies, 2(3), 101–120. Https://Doi.Org/10.53378/348743
Remeikienė, R., Ligita, G., Fedajev, A., Raistenskis, E., & Krivins, A. (2022). Links Between Crime And Economic Development: Eu Classification. Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal Of Economics And Economic Policy, 17(4), 909–938. Https://Doi.Org/10.24136/Eq.2022.031
Richmond-Rakerd, L. S., D’souza, S., Andersen, S. H., Hogan, S., Houts, R. M., Poulton, R., Ramrakha, S., Caspi, A., Milne, B. J., & Moffitt, T. E. (2020). Clustering Of Health, Crime And Social-Welfare Inequality In 4 Million Citizens From Two Nations. Nature Human Behaviour, 4(3), 255–264. Https://Doi.Org/10.1038/S41562-019-0810-4
Rizky Amanda Yusnuri, & Jariah Abubakar. (2023). Analysis Of Human Development Index, Unemployment And Poverty On Economic Growth In Indonesia. International Journal Of Social Science, Educational, Economics, Agriculture Research And Technology (Ijset), 2(8), 346–358. Https://Doi.Org/10.54443/Ijset.V2i8.190
Salsabilla Harahap, A., & Mutiara Nelson, F. (2023). Development Of Criminal Concepts And Criminal In Corruption Criminal Cases In Indonesia. Journal Of World Science, 2(7), 998–1006. Https://Doi.Org/10.58344/Jws.V2i7.352
Samoilenko, S. (2020). Flip Side Of The Coin: Negative Socio-Economic Implications Of Ict. Business And Economic Research, 10(2), 168. Https://Doi.Org/10.5296/Ber.V10i2.16973
Saputra, R. (2023). Analisis Tingkat Pendidikan, Kemiskinan Dan Pengangguran Terhadap Kriminalitas Di Bekasi. Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, Humaniora Dan Politik, 3(4), 159–163. Https://Doi.Org/10.38035/Jihhp.V3i4.1677
Shen, F., Liu, B., Luo, F., Wu, C., Chen, H., & Wei, W. (2021). The Effect Of Economic Growth Target Constraints On Green Technology Innovation. Journal Of Environmental Management, 292, 112765. Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/J.Jenvman.2021.112765
Siregar, I., & Zulkarnain. (2022). The Relationship Between Conflict And Social Change In The Perspective Of Expert Theory: A Literature Review. International Journal Of Arts And Humanities Studies, 2(1), 09–16. Https://Doi.Org/10.32996/Bjahs.2022.2.1.2
Smith, M. L. (2022). Countermajoritarian Criminal Law. Ssrn Electronic Journal. Https://Doi.Org/10.2139/Ssrn.4179888
Song, C.-Q., Chang, C.-P., & Gong, Q. (2021). Economic Growth, Corruption, And Financial Development: Global Evidence. Economic Modelling, 94, 822–830. Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/J.Econmod.2020.02.022
Stamm, I., Matthies, A.-L., Hirvilammi, T., & Närhi, K. (2020). Combining Labour Market And Unemployment Policies With Environmental Sustainability? A Cross-National Study On Ecosocial Innovations. Journal Of International And Comparative Social Policy, 36(1), 42–56. Https://Doi.Org/10.1017/Ics.2020.4
Sugiharti, L., Purwono, R., Esquivias, M. A., & Rohmawati, H. (2023). The Nexus Between Crime Rates, Poverty, And Income Inequality: A Case Study Of Indonesia. Economies, 11(2), 62. Https://Doi.Org/10.3390/Economies11020062
Tepperman, A. (2022). Critical Perspectives On Historical Criminology. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia Of Criminology And Criminal Justice. Oxford University Press. Https://Doi.Org/10.1093/Acrefore/9780190264079.013.674
Triatmanto, B., & Bawono, S. (2023). The Interplay Of Corruption, Human Capital, And Unemployment In Indonesia: Implications For Economic Development. Journal Of Economic Criminology, 2, 100031. Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/J.Jeconc.2023.100031
Van Dijk, J., Nieuwbeerta, P., & Joudo Larsen, J. (2022). Global Crime Patterns: An Analysis Of Survey Data From 166 Countries Around The World, 2006–2019. Journal Of Quantitative Criminology, 38(4), 793–827. Https://Doi.Org/10.1007/S10940-021-09501-0
Vicki Dwi Purnomo, Hasrul Buamona, & Wantara. (2023). Analysis Of Political Criminalization In Indonesia. Formosa Journal Of Applied Sciences, 2(5), 873–886. Https://Doi.Org/10.55927/Fjas.V2i5.4198
Wu, Q., Zhang, Y., He, W., & Cui, L. (2022). The Relationship Between Adolescents’ Materialism And Cooperative Propensity: The Mediating Role Of Greed And The Moderating Role Of Awe. Personality And Individual Differences, 189, 111484. Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/J.Paid.2021.111484
Yigzaw, Y., Mekuriaw, A., & Amsalu, T. (2023). Analyzing Physical And Socio-Economic Factors For Property Crime Incident In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Heliyon, 9(2), E13282. Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/J.Heliyon.2023.E13282
Yuanda, A. (2024). Analisis Kemiskinan, Pengangguran, Dan Konflik Masyarakat Terhadap Kriminalitas Di Kota Binjai.
Zhu, Y., Bashir, S., & Marie, M. (2022). Assessing The Relationship Between Poverty And Economic Growth: Does Sustainable Development Goal Can Be Achieved? Environmental Science And Pollution Research, 29(19), 27613–27623. Https://Doi.Org/10.1007/S11356-021-18240-5
Zuriyani, E., & Despica, R. (2020). The Study Of Crime And Its Relation To The Development. Masyarakat, Kebudayaan Dan Politik, 33(1), 47. Https://Doi.Org/10.20473/Mkp.V33i12020.47-57
Downloads
Published
Versions
- 2025-12-31 (3)
- 2025-12-31 (2)
- 2025-12-31 (1)
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Anggi Rahayu

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the proceeding right of first publication and this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the works authorship and initial publication in this proceeding .
All articles in this proceeding may be disseminated by listing valid sources and the title of the article should not be omitted. The content of the article is liable to the author.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the proceeding 's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this proceeding .
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
In the dissemination of articles by the author must declare the Proceedings of International Conference on Finance Economics and Business (ICOFEB) as the first party to publish the article.
