Archive · 18 Aug 2025
IIT Study: Inequality and Crime Linked in Indian Cities
Scientists looked at crime in different Indian cities and found a link between how rich or poor different neighborhoods are and how much crime happens.
They used the brightness of city lights at night as a way to see how rich or poor a place is.
The study showed that when the gap between rich and poor gets bigger, crime tends to go up.
For example, when inequality goes up a little bit, crime goes up too.
They also learned that when more criminals are caught and punished, it can help to lower the amount of crime in an area.
IIT Kharagpur study finds a link between economic inequality and crime rates in Indian cities.
A 1% rise in economic inequality is associated with a 0.5% increase in crime rates, according to the study.
The study analyzed data from 49 Indian cities using nighttime lighting as a proxy for economic activity.
Delhi had the highest crime rate among the cities studied, while Calcutta had one of the lowest.
Higher conviction rates were found to be linked to lower crime rates across 23 Indian states.
- Who
- Researchers at IIT Kharagpur conducted the study.
- What
- Study reveals a correlation between economic inequality and crime rates in Indian cities.
- When
- The study analyzed data from 2001 to 2021.
- Where
- 49 Indian cities were studied, with data from 23 states analyzed.
- Why
- To explore how socio-economic factors influence crime patterns.
- Study Institution
- IIT Kharagpur
- Cities Studied
- 49 Indian cities
- Crime Capital (Highest Rate)
- Delhi
- Safest City (Lowest Rate)
- Calcutta
- Inequality Increase vs. Crime Increase
- 1% rise in inequality correlated to 0.5% rise in crime
- Data Used
- National Crime Records Bureau data and satellite nighttime lighting maps