This paper develops and indicates the economic analysis of criminal law, specifically misdemeanors in Ecuador. It focuses on a theoretical study of the circumstances that motivate the offender to commit unlawful acts and incur the commission of minor offenses, the penalties referred to as a sanction for these acts and the cost to the state. The document is focus on a study of law based on microeconomics science to indicate the responsibility of the subject who commits minor offenses, how the country responses to these actions and the way it tries to avoid offenses improving public policies. KEYWORDS: criminal law, minor offences, contraventions, cost-benefit, incentives. JEL CODE: D61, G14RESUMENEste documento introduce el análisis económico del Derecho Penal, especí­ficamente de los delitos menores en el Estado ecuatoriano; se enfoca en un estudio teórico de las circunstancias que motivan al delincuente a cometer actos ilí­citos e incurrir en la comisión de delitos menores, las penas contempladas como sanción de estos actos y el costo que representa para el Estado la existencia de este tipo de contravenciones. El enfoque del estudio parte de las herramientas otorgadas por la microeconomí­a para indicar la responsabilidad del sujeto que comete delitos menores y la respuesta del Estado ecuatoriano frente a este tipo penal, con el fin de mejorar las polí­ticas públicas y de este modo conseguir el bien social. ABSTRACTThis paper develops and indicates the economic analysis of criminal law, specifically misdemeanors in Ecuador. It focuses on a theoretical study of the circumstances that motivate the offender to commit unlawful acts and incur the commission of minor offenses, the penalties referred to as a sanction for these acts and the cost to the state.The document is focus on a study of law based on microeconomics science to indicate the responsibility of the subject who commits minor offenses, how the country responses to these actions and the way it tries to avoid offenses improving public policies. KEYWORDS: criminal law, minor offences, contraventions, cost-benefit, incentives. JEL CODE / CLASIFICACIÓN JEL: D61, G14