Crimes are a social problem and they come with considerable costs. Crime trends generally vary substantially over time in all societies and for nearly all types of crime. Furthermore, the same type of crime can often differ noticeably in rates and levels between countries. In Baltic and East European countries, violence crimes have been higher than in other European countries. On the other hand, acquisitive crime rates, such as burglaries, are generally lower in Baltic and East European countries. How can these (dis)similarities and variations be explained? Macro-analytical, cross-country comparative research and explanations of macro trends of different types of crimes are generally lacking, despite that variations and differences in crime rates have received several explanations in previous research. The lack of knowledge of the drivers of different forms of crime and crime trends is particularly apparent for post-socialist societies and Baltic and East European countries, both in historical and contemporary perspective. The project adds new knowledge on socio-economic development in this region. It aims to contribute to the understanding of the development of and driving forces behind crime rates in several Baltic and East European countries from the early 1990s to present day. The project is comparative and sets out from a socio-economic framework, investigating how macroeconomic, political and social factors are related to several different forms of crime over time.