Compared to macroeconomic factors, the financial situation of the individual may provide
better insight into the relationship between debt and crime. However, the relationship
between debt and crime is still unclear and little is known about the causality of this
relationship and the factors that influence it. To obtain more insight into this relationship,
a systematic and scoping literature review was conducted. Five articles were analyzed in
the systematic review, and 24 articles in the scoping review. The results of the systematic
review show a strong association between debt and crime whereby debt is a risk factor for
crime, especially for recidivism and regardless of the type of crime, and crime is a risk factor
for debt. The scoping review provided additional and in-depth insight, and placed the results
of the systematic review in a broader perspective. Moreover, it emphasized the prevalence
of debt among offenders, regardless of age, and identified the factors that influence the
relationship between debt and crime.
