Does the homicide resource curse exist? Evidence in selected countries

Abstract

Despite the increasing exploration of the relationship between natural resources and civil wars/interstate conflicts, less is known about their effects on everyday interpersonal violence during peacetime. This study assesses the effect of natural resources on intentional homicides in selected countries. It demonstrates that intentional homicides increase with natural resource dependence, with a greater effect on male homicides compared to female homicides. Men are therefore disproportionately affected by resource-induced homicide. Moreover, the traditional worse effect of point resources compared to diffuse resources is also highlighted by the results. They show that rents from coal, minerals, oil and natural gas have a strong positive effect on homicide rates, while the effect of forest rents is less precise and not significant. Finally, the study establishes that institutions shape the effect of natural resources on homicides. Homicide rates only increase in resource-rent-dependent countries with high levels of corruption and low levels of political stability, democracy and respect for the rule of law. The diversification of the economies to reduce over-dependence on resource rents in countries heavily endowed with point resources and the strengthening of institutional quality are mainly recommended.