Summary (English)

This report is a contribution to the policy debate on the direction of social protection in Asia and the Pacific. It shows that, while many countries of the region have in place some form of social protection, this benefits only a fraction of those who need it. Nonetheless, as the report argues, present-day programmes can be the building blocks of more integrated protection systems as a part of the inclusive growth and social equity agenda. The cost of such systems will vary according to the level of economic development, income distribution and affordability but as the report suggest, even at the lower end of the economic spectrum, comprehensive social protection is within the reach of most countries in the near future.