SBI Research Report 2026

SBI Research Report 2026

Why in News?

Recently, an SBI Research study 2026 covering 28 Indian states found that increased surveillance and targeted security spending create a strong deterrent against traditional crime.

Highlights of SBI Research Report 2026

• Overall Crime Rate: India recorded 58.86 lakh cognizable crimes in 2024, representing a 6% reduction to previous year.
  • The all-India crime rate per lakh population fell from 448.3 in 2023 to 418.9 in 2024. 
  • Among states, Kerala recorded the highest total cognizable crime rate at 1,389 per lakh, while Nagaland recorded the lowest at 61.6 per lakh.
• Crime’s Impact on GDP: The analysis reveals that a 1% decline in the IPC/BNS crime rate correlates with a 0.11% increase in real GDP growth in the short run.
  • When the government increases its security spending per capita by 1%, the crime rate in that state decreases by approximately 0.36%. 
  • Security spending remains heavily skewed towards urban areas, creating a divergence between declining city crime rates and evolving rural threats.
• Women’s Safety: Cases of crime against women declined from 4.48 lakh in 2023 to 4.41 lakh in 2024, a reduction of about 1.5%, indicating gradual improvement though concerns remain significant.
  • Women’s participation in the workforce is lower in cities with higher rates of crime against women.
  • The report estimates a significant hidden burden, with 6.69 crore ever-married women suffering from physical or sexual spousal violence.
  • The report treats safety as a critical labor market policy variable that restricts female workforce participation.
  • The report highlights a strong negative correlation between crimes against women and the Female Labor Force Participation Rate. 
  • In states like Haryana, Kerala, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh, elevated crime rates coincide with low or moderate female workforce participation.
• Mass Urban Surveillance: Over 84,000 CCTV cameras were installed across 100 Smart Cities. These installations increase the perceived probability of detection.
  • All 100 Smart Cities now operate Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCC), utilizing real-time data to optimize urban security and police response.
  • Areas with greater CCTV coverage showed a modest negative correlation (–0.148) with crime levels.
  • Initiatives like the Safe City Project have effectively strengthened deterrence via urban safety infrastructure, GIS-based crime mapping, and improved lighting.
  • Chennai leads nationally with 615 cameras per square mile, followed by Hyderabad (157) and Mumbai (145).
• Effect of Digitization: Digital footprints from UPI and FASTag increase the expected cost of committing traditional property and financial crimes.
  • The report links crime reduction to growing digitization and digital transaction trails, which increase traceability and raise the probability of offender detection. 
• Cybercrime Epidemic: Despite falling physical crime, cyber fraud has reached over 1 lakh annual cases.
  • In 2025, over 28.15 lakh digital fraud incidents were reported, causing significant financial strain.
  • Digital transformation has rapidly shifted criminal activities to the digital realm, resulting in a worldwide 17% surge in cybercrime and digital fraud. 
  • Organized digital arrest scams have caused massive losses, with victims losing nearly Rs. 3,000 crore.
  • As financial losses to cyber breaches mount, including a projected Rs 8,200 crore in the financial sector, investments are shifting toward AI-driven cyber threat intelligence.
• Critical Concern: SBI Research highlights a significant reporting gap in domestic violence cases.
  • Using NFHS-5 and NCRB data, the study estimates that millions of women experience spousal violence annually. 
  • Based on help-seeking patterns, around 5.94 lakh cases should reach police authorities, yet only 1.21 lakh cases were officially recorded in 2024. 
  • This means just 20.4% of expected police-contact cases appear in NCRB records, indicating nearly 4.73 lakh cases may remain outside the formal FIR and criminal justice system.
• West Bengal’s Anomaly Crime Data: The SBI Research report identifies West Bengal as a notable statistical anomaly in national crime records.
  • Despite contributing significant shares of missing children (16.11%), kidnapping and abduction (8.03%), and crimes against women (7.78%), the state reports exceptionally low levels of property crimes, including only 1.49% of India’s theft cases and 0.06% of burglaries. 
  • With just 53 night burglaries recorded among 15,969 property offenses, the pattern contrasts sharply with neighboring Jharkhand, suggesting that underreporting or lower FIR registration rates, rather than lower crime incidence.