New Delhi, June 15 -- India's latest crime statistics offer encouraging signs of progress. According to the National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) Crime in India 2024 report, the country recorded under 5.9 million cognizable crimes that year, a decline of 6% from the previous year. The all-India crime rate fell from 448.3 per lakh population to 418.9, while crimes against women fell 1.5%.

Most importantly, our estimates suggest that a 1% decline in such crime is associated with about 0.11% higher real GDP growth in the short run, with the long-run dividends even higher.

At a time when rapid urbanization and digital connectivity are transforming society, the reduction in conventional crime suggests that investments in public infrastructu...