Protection sociale

Mettre en place des socles de protection sociale
et des systèmes complets de sécurité sociale

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Situation et prioritiés

Situation de la protection sociale

The Ecuadorian social protection system comprises contributory, semi-contributory, and non-contributory schemes. The contributory scheme consists of three mandatory social insurance programmes that mainly cover formal workers, functioning under the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute - IESS. The two other social insurance programmes cover public forces, such as people working in the army and the police. The semi-contributory scheme includes social insurance for rural farmers and artisanal fishers, as well as a modality of affiliation for non-paid domestic workers, which allows women receiving conditional transfers from the government to allocate part of their benefits toward contributions to the pension regime. Both programmes are also administered by the IESS and receive subsidies, including contributions from the government. Finally, the non-contributory scheme consists of conditional and unconditional cash transfers and social services, provided by the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion (MIES).

The Ecuadorian social protection system reflects the country’s economic structure, characterized by informal employment and underemployment. Considering SDG indicator 1.3.1, by 2021 (latest available data), only 46.8% of the population was covered by at least one benefit of the national social protection system. By 2023, only 33.5% of people in employment had access to the contributory social security system, leaving more than 66% without any social protection whatsoever. Social vulnerability is deepened for groups at high risk of exclusion, such as youth, women, older people, unemployed people, rural populations, migrants, and indigenous people.

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COVID-19 and other crises

Although the coverage of some vulnerable groups has increased thanks to the social protection measures taken to protect lives and livelihoods during the COVID-19 crisis, the situation has worsened for other groups. Before the pandemic, only 15.2% of children received a benefit from the social protection system. Post-pandemic, 29.2% of children receive a benefit from the system. A similar situation can be observed for older people, where 6.6 out of 10 now receive a benefit, an increase of 5.5 percentage points compared to before the pandemic. The reality is different for women and for injured populations. In the case of women, 1.8% fewer now receive a maternity benefit compared to pre-pandemic levels. For injured populations, 35.5% currently receive an employment injury benefit, compared to 43.1% before the pandemic.

Visit the Social Protection COVID-19 Monitor
Priorités du gouvernement

The Government's plan, "For the New Ecuador 2024 - 2025," outlines four national pillars. Within the social and economic pillar, the plan sets three main objectives, along with corresponding targets to be achieved by 2025:

  • Reduce the income extreme poverty rate from 9.81% to 9.12%.
  • Increase the adequate employment rate from 34.41% to 39.09%.
  • Reduce the youth unemployment rate from 9.29% to 8.00%.

The priorities of social partners include increasing adequate employment policies in a complex context of insecurity and the expansion of terrorist and drug trafficking groups. The extension of coverage of the social protection system, mainly through the non-contributory scheme, is also a priority, especially as a compensatory measure due to tax reforms and the potential elimination of fossil fuel subsidies.

Workers’ organizations have particular priorities, such as the payment of accrued debts from the government to the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute, primarily to strengthen the pension and health funds, along with the recovery of debts from the private sector. Fighting against the privatization of the social security institute, as well as possible labour reforms have also been set as priorities by workers organizations.

Employers’ organizations also have priorities, focusing on updating the labour code, which dates back to 1938, to reduce certain labour costs that hinder employment creation and formalization, not necessarily limited to social security alone.

Projets et programmes de l'OIT

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Resultats

  • 2023: Financial scenario analysis for implementing a social protection floor using an ILO costing tool.
  • 2023: Strengthened technical capacity of government institutions to monitor SDG Indicator 1.3.1 through the Social Security Inquiry (SSI).
  • 2022: Innovative proposal to extend social security coverage to self-employed workers.
  • 2022: Analysis of national social security legislation in light of the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102).
  • 2021: Proposal to adjust Unemployment Insurance parameters for increased sustainability and coverage.
  • 2021: Recommendations to improve healthcare system access and coverage, focusing on financing and enrolment.
  • 2020: Strengthened actuarial capacity of the IESS through staff training and ILO-developed software.
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Déficits de financement / Soutenir l'OIT

US$ 300 000

Support the capacities of the country to identify and increase fiscal space for social protection through the design of financing instruments and advocacy processes with experts, congress and social partners.

US$ 600 000

Support the country to develop strategies promoting transit from informality to formalization, specially in rural areas with influence of indigenous people with reduced social protection coverage related to agricultural production.

US$ 500 000

Innovating for Equality: transforming national and local social protection mechanisms through digitalization

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