The fluctuating trend in property crime and an upward trend in violent crime can serve as a stumbling block for higher economic growth. Thus, Malaysia's plan to be a higher income nation and achieve sustainable development will not fall in place. Despite innumerable studies on crime, an investigation into its determinants is still complex because numerous factors, including socioeconomic factors, may influence crime. Besides, their findings are mixed, and the influence of tertiary educations and female employment should not be ruled out. Therefore, this study endeavours to examine the socioeconomic determinants (unemployment, income, inflation, prison population growth, tertiary education, and female employment) of property and violent crime in Malaysia from 1982 to 2017 using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) modelling approach. The results reveal that unemployment, inflation, and tertiary education can significantly affect property crime in the long run. Income (GDP per capita) and female employment can insignificantly influence property crime in the short run. Prison population growth can significantly affect property crime. The findings also reveal significant and negative relationships between unemployment, female employment, and violent crime in the long run. However, only unemployment and income (GDP per capita) can influence violent crime in the short run. Besides, inflation, prison population growth, and tertiary education can positively and insignificantly influence violent crime both in the short and long run. The findings on the relationship between these socioeconomic factors and crime should merit attention from policymakers to formulate the right policies. To ensure a long-term property crime reduction, the Malaysian government should control inflation by stabilising oil prices through Energy Diversification Policy. It is also imperative for the government to implement a family-friendly policy to encourage more women to enter the workforce in order to combat violent crime in the long run.
