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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of aggregate suicides in 15 OECD countries during 1960-2010 using an economic model where changes in the welfare of consumers play the critical role for determining the number of suicides.

The hardship index based on economic theory is developed. In estimating the model, the authors apply the Pesaran et al. (2001) approach that allows the simultaneous estimation of the long-run and short-run parameters. To make sure that the authors’ findings are not specific to their method, the authors also use the generalized method of moments estimation in the panel set-up.

The authors found a relatively strong positive relationship between macroeconomic conditions, especially changes in aggregate consumption, and suicides. The relationship appears to be robust also in terms of the various control variables cited in the literature. The hardship index which is based on the habit persistence model of consumption predicts and explains the long-term behavior of suicides in most of the countries. Thus, the hardship index is a better economic explanatory variable than the unemployment rate or other proxies describing economic conditions.

Marrying the economic theory and econometric methods produces a reasonable empirical model to explain the connection between aggregate economic conditions and suicides.

New evidence on Finnish property criminality is presented. The analysis is based on Erlich′s model; the empirical analysis makes use of annual Finnish data for the period 1951‐1986. The estimation results strongly support the notion that both the apprehension rate and the severity of punishment have a strong deterrent effect on larcenies and robberies.

This paper analyses the economic determinants of suicide. More specifically, we test the hypothesis that suicide is related to shocks or news concerning income growth. Testing is based on an error correction model of suicide in which the long‐run part takes into account various demographic and structural variables. Empirical analysis is based on Finnish time series data covering the period 1878‐1994. Some cross‐country data are also used. The empirical results strongly support the “natural rate” hypothesis.

To analyse productivity of public expenditures; especially to find out the effect of human capital investment on private sector productivity.

Several measures of public sector capital stock are constructed. These measures are used in testing the effects on private sector productivity. Empirical analysis makes use of cross‐country panel data and utilizes various panel econometric methods.

The main finding is that public sector capital has a positive impact on private sector productivity. Some evidence is provided to the hypotheses that also human capital that is generated within the public sector increases private sector productivity.

There are a lot of measurement problems with the cross‐country data. Also the non‐stationarity of data creates some estimation problems. These may have some impact on the quantitative, but perhaps not on qualitative, nature of results.

Relatively few analysis have made in this area; this is true in particular with comparative (cross‐country) analysis.