WORLD SOCIAL PROTECTION REPORT 2024-26
Universal Social Protection for Climate Action and a Just Transition
Key links
Figures by chapter
Executive summary
- Figure ES.1: SDG indicator 1.3.1: Effective social protection coverage, global, regional and income-level estimates, by population group, 2015 and 2023 (percentage)
- Figure ES.2: The 20 and 50 countries most vulnerable to climate change and their weighted average effective coverage by at least one social protection cash benefit, 2023 (percentage)
Chapter 1. Contending with life-cycle and climate risks: The compelling case for universal social protection
- Figure 1.1: The role of social protection in supporting climate change adaptation and mitigation for a just transition
- Figure 1.2: Illustration of the role of social protection in addressing life-cycle and climate risks and climate policies
- Figure 1.3: Contribution of social protection to the 2030 Agenda
- Figure 1.4: What are the implications of life without social protection (selected examples)? What are the cost of inaction?
Chapter 2. From climate crisis to a just transition: The role of social protection
- Figure 2.1: Breaking the poverty–environment trap through social protection
- Figure 2.13 (Box): Structural transformations in the context of a just transition
- Figure 2.2: The relationship between a country’s vulnerability (score) to climate change and social protection coverage (percentage), by region, 2023
- Figure 2.3a: The state of social protection worldwide: Coverage is increasing but too slowly
- Figure 2.3b: The 20 and 50 countries most vulnerable to climate change and their weighted average
Chapter 3. Getting the basics right: Closing protection gaps and strengthening systems
- Figure 3.1: SDG indicator 1.3.1 on effective social protection coverage by at least one cash benefit, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 3.2: SDG indicator 1.3.1: Effective social protection coverage, global, regional and income-level estimates, by population group, 2015 and 2023 (percentage)
- Figure 3.3: Effective coverage: number of covered and uncovered persons by social protection branch, 2023
- Figure 3.4: SDG indicator 1.3.1 on effective social protection coverage by at least one cash benefit, global, regional and income-level estimates for contributory and non-contributory benefits, 2023 (percentage)
- Figure 3.4 (Box): Share of persons in employment who contribute to a pension scheme, by sex and age, selected countries, latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 3.5(a): Employed population contributing to social security, by status in employment, type of contract and working-time arrangement, selected countries and territories, latest year (percentage)
- Figure 3.5(b): Employed population contributing to social security, by status in employment, type of contract and working-time arrangement, selected countries and territories, latest year (percentage)
- Figure 3.6: Employees contributing to social security, by size of the enterprise, selected countries and territories, latest year (percentage)
- Figure 3.7: The relationship between a country’s vulnerability to climate change and the share of workers contributing to social security
- Figure 3.8: SDG indicator 1.3.1 on effective coverage for protection of vulnerable persons: Share of vulnerable persons receiving cash benefits (social assistance), by region, subregion and income level, 2015 and 2023 (percentage)
- Figure 3.9: Gender gaps in effective social protection and pension coverage: SDG indicator 1.3.1 on effective social protection coverage, beneficiaries
- Figure 3.10: Development of social protection schemes anchored in national legislation by policy area, pre-1900 to 2023 (percentage of countries)
- Figure 3.11: Public social protection expenditure, 2023 or latest available year, domestic general government health expenditure, 2021, by region, subregion and income level (percentage of GDP)
- Figure 3.12: Distribution of social protection expenditure by social protection guarantee, 2023 or latest available year, by region, subregion, and country income level
- Figure 3.13: Financing gap for achieving universal social protection coverage per year, by social protection benefit, by region and income level, 2024 (percentage of GDP)
- Figure 3.14: Comparison between the resources allocated to explicit and implicit fuel subsidies and the financing gap for a social protection floor, 2024 (percentage of GDP)
- Figure 3.15: Selective actions to strengthen and adapt institutional and operational capacities
Chapter 4. Strengthening social protection for all throughout the life course
- Figure 4.1: Social protection for children and families (cash benefits) anchored in law, by type of scheme, 2024 or latest available year
- Figure 4.2: Simulated effects of universal child benefits (UCB) on child income poverty, selected countries and territories, latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.3: SDG indicator 1.3.1 on effective coverage for children and families: Share of children receiving child or family cash benefits, aged 0 to 15 (2015 and 2023) and aged 0 to 18 (2023), by region, subregion and income level (percentage)
- Figure 4.4: SDG indicator 1.3.1 on effective coverage for children and families: Share of children aged 0 to 15 receiving child and family cash benefits, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.5: The Children’s Climate Risk Index compared with effective coverage for children and families: Share of children aged 0 to 15 receiving child or family cash benefits, by income level, 2023 (percentage)
- Figure 4.6: Impact evidence of how child poverty and vulnerability risks are addressed through the nine life-cycle social protection functions
- Figure 4.7: Public social protection expenditure (excluding health) on children (percentage of GDP) and share of children aged 0 to 15 in total population (percentage), by region, subregion and income level, 2023 or latest available year
- Figure 4.8: Public social protection expenditure (excluding health) on working-age population (percentage of GDP) and share of population aged between 15 and 64 in total population (percentage), by region, subregion and income level, 2023 or latest available year
- Figure 4.9: Maternity protection (cash benefits) anchored in law, by type of scheme, 2023 or latest available year
- Figure 4.10: SDG indicator 1.3.1 on effective coverage for maternity protection: Share of women giving birth receiving maternity cash benefits, by region, subregion and income level, 2015 and 2023 (percentage)
- Figure 4.11: SDG indicator 1.3.1 on effective coverage for maternity protection: Share of women giving birth receiving maternity cash benefits, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.12: Legal coverage for maternity protection: Share of women in working age over 15 years old covered by maternity cash benefits, by region, subregion, income level and type of scheme, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.13: Legal coverage for sickness protection: Share of labour force aged 15 and over covered by sickness cash benefits, by region, subregion, income level, sex and type of scheme, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.14: Sickness protection (cash benefits) anchored in law, by type of scheme, 2023 or latest available year
- Figure 4.15: Employment injury protection (periodic disability cash benefits) anchored in law, by type of scheme, 2023 or latest available year
- Figure 4.16: Legal coverage for employment injury protection: Share of persons in labour force aged 15 and over covered by cash benefits in case of employment injury, by region, subregion, income level, sex and type of scheme, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.17: SDG indicator 1.3.1 on effective coverage for employment injury protection: Share of persons in labour force aged 15 and over covered by cash benefits in case of employment injury (active contributors), by region, subregion and income level, 2015 and 2023 (percentage)
- Figure 4.18: SDG indicator 1.3.1 on effective coverage for employment injury protection: Share of persons in labour force aged 15 and over covered by cash benefits in case of employment injury (active contributors), 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.19: Replacement rates of employment injury schemes for permanent and temporary disability benefits, selected countries, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.20: Disability protection (periodic cash benefits) anchored in law, by type of scheme, 2023 or latest available year
- Figure 4.21: SDG indicator 1.3.1 on effective coverage for disability protection: Share of persons with severe disabilities receiving cash benefits, by region, subregion and income level, 2015 and 2023 (percentage)
- Figure 4.22: SDG indicator 1.3.1 on effective coverage for disability protection: Share of persons with severe disabilities receiving cash benefits, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.23: Legal coverage for disability protection: Share of the working-age population aged 15 and over covered by disability cash benefits, by region, subregion, income level, sex and type of scheme, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.24: Legal coverage for unemployment protection: Share of persons in the labour force aged 15 and over covered by unemployment cash benefits, by region, subregion, income level, sex and type of scheme, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.25: Unemployment protection (cash benefits) anchored in law, by type of scheme, 2023 or latest available year
- Figure 4.26: SDG 1.3.1 on effective coverage for unemployment protection: Share of unemployed persons receiving cash benefits, by region, subregion and income level, 2015 and 2023 (percentage)
- Figure 4.27: SDG indicator 1.3.1 on effective coverage for unemployment protection: Share of unemployed persons receiving cash benefits, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.28: Effective unemployment protection coverage among the 25 largest coal producers, by volume of coal production, 2023 or latest available year
- Figure 4.29: Old-age protection (pensions) anchored in law, by type of scheme, 2023 or latest available year
- Figure 4.30: Financial mechanisms for old-age pensions: Share of countries with defined benefit or defined contribution pension schemes, 2023 or latest available year
- Figure 4.31: Legal coverage for old-age protection: Share of working-age population aged 15 and over covered by old-age pensions, by region, subregion, income level, sex and type of scheme, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.32: Effective coverage for old-age protection: Share of persons in labour force aged 15 and over covered by a pension scheme (active contributors), 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.33: Effective coverage for old-age protection: Share of persons in labour force and working-age population aged 15 and over covered by a pension scheme (active contributors), by region, subregion and income level, 2020 and 2023 (percentage)
- Figure 4.34: SDG indicator 1.3.1 on effective coverage of social protection: Share of persons above statutory retirement age receiving an old-age pension, 2023 or latest available year
- Figure 4.35: SDG 1.3.1 on effective coverage for old-age protection: Share of persons above statutory retirement age receiving an old-age pension, by region, subregion and income level, 2015 and 2023 (percentage)
- Figure 4.36: Public social protection expenditure (excluding health) for older persons (percentage of GDP) and share of old-age persons aged 65 and over in total population (percentage), by region, subregion and income level, 2023 or latest available year
- Figure 4.37: SDG 1.3.1 on effective coverage for old-age protection: Share of persons above statutory retirement age receiving an old-age pension, by sex, 2023 (percentage)
- Figure 4.38: Minimum level of tax-financed old-age pensions (single person) relative to the national poverty line, selected countries, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.39: Lowest statutory retirement age for a full career in selected countries (OECD), by sex, 2023
- Figure 4.40: Social health protection for climate action
- Figure 4.41: Share of the population legally entitled to access healthcare services without hardship, by region, subregion, income level and type of mechanism, 2023 (percentage)
- Figure 4.42: Share of the population protected by social health protection (protected persons), by region, subregion and income level, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.43: SDG 3.8.1 Universal Health Coverage Service Coverage Index – Average coverage of essential health services, 2021 or latest year available (percentage)
- Figure 4.44: Unequal advances in service coverage for reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services, by region and type of service, 2023 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.45: Inequities in access to maternal healthcare services: Share of live births attended by skilled health personnel by wealth quintile, selected countries by region, 2019 or latest available data (percentage)
- Figure 4.46(a): Deficits in staff and infrastructure at the heart of inequalities in access to healthcare, 2022 or latest available year
- Figure 4.46(b): Deficits in staff and infrastructure at the heart of inequalities in access to healthcare, 2022 or latest available year
- Figure 4.46(c): Deficits in staff and infrastructure at the heart of inequalities in access to healthcare, 2022 or latest available year
- Figure 4.47: SDG 3.8.2 Incidence of catastrophic health spending (at more than 10 per cent of household income or consumption), 2021 or latest available year
- Figure 4.48: Impoverishment due to out-of-pocket healthcare expenses: Share of general government and out-of-pocket expenditure in total health expenditure, and share of population pushed below a relative poverty line (60 per cent of income or consumption), by region, subregion and income level, 2021 or latest available year (percentage)
- Figure 4.49: Current health expenditure (CHE) (percentage of GDP) and its composition (percentage), by region, subregion and income level, 2022
- Figure 4.50: Current health expenditure (CHE) per capita and domestic general government health expenditure (GGHE-D) per capita, by region, subregion and income level, 2022 (US$ PPP)
Access data / Statistical annexes
- Annex 4: Ratification of up-to-date ILO social security Conventions
- Annex 5: Social protection effective coverage
- Annex 6: General government actual expenditure on social protection including and excluding health care, latest available year (percentage of GDP)
- Annex 7: Social protection legal coverage – online only
- Annex 8: Key features of main social security programmes by function – online only