Abstract
Some existing research suggests that alcohol consumption correlates with homicide rates on a cross-national level. Additionally, previous studies indicate that this relationship appears to be influenced by cultural and socio-economic factors. This thesis aims to deepen our understanding of the dynamics of the relationships between alcohol consumption and homicide rates by incorporating poverty and Eastern religious orientation as moderating variables. Moreover, it expands the analysis to a sample size of 178 nations, exceeding that of any prior study. Further, the study uses data from reliable sources, including the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the World Factbook. It employs Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models to investigate the direct and indirect effects of alcohol consumption. The findings indicate that the effect of alcohol consumption on cross-national homicide rates depends on the levels of poverty. In particular, alcohol consumption is linked to increased homicide rates at extreme levels of poverty, while in countries where poverty rates are lower than average, alcohol consumption is negatively correlated with homicide rates. These findings underscore the necessity of accounting for additional economic factors related to alcohol consumption to fully comprehend its complex relationship with homicide rates. Finally, although the findings show that the presence of Eastern religions is associated with lower homicide rates, it does not affect the relationship between alcohol consumption and homicide rates as a moderating factor.