Economic and political determinants of corporate crime in Russia: the first evidence

This study estimates the corporate crime rate in Russia and empirically analyzes its economic and political determinants. We found that 687 (11.4%) among 6,038 Russian companies committed 2,454 crimes between January 2020 and September 2023. International crimes accounted for 1,747 of these offenses, significantly outnumbering economic and political/social crimes. The empirical analysis indicates that, in Russia, board gender diversity and public sector presence have a deterrent effect on corporate crime. However, industrial policies, regional economic development and inequality, and international relations contribute significantly to increasing corporate crime. These findings are robust across various crime types, industrial sectors, firm sizes, and age groups.