Access to at least a basic level of social security throughout the life cycle is a human right, fundamental to ensuring individuals’ health and dignity. Social protection systems are at the core of efforts to ensure decent living conditions for the whole population throughout their lives. The proportion of the population covered by social protection floors provides an indication of the extent to which the ideal of the universality of social protection is accomplished and of how secure the population's health and living conditions are. It is therefore a key indicator that conveys information on how protected the population is from the various contingencies potentially faced in life.
More than half the world’s population (52.4 per cent) are covered by at least one social protection benefit. The human right to social security is not yet a reality for 3.8 billion people.
Only 37.4 per cent of the labour force are protected in the event of work injury, while 2.3 billion remain uncovered.
More than two-thirds of children globally – 1.5 billion children – are not covered by social protection cash benefits.
36.9 per cent of mothers with newborns receive a maternity benefit, while 85 million new mothers remain uncovered.
Less than one-fifth of unemployed persons are receiving unemployment benefits, while 157 million unemployed remain without coverage.
Less than 40 per cent of persons with severe disabilities worldwide receive a disability cash benefit, 146 million remains uncovered.
Just over a third of the working-age population (35 per cent) contribute to a pension scheme, while a persistent gender gap remains.
Pensions for older women and men is the most widespread form of social protection. At the global level, 165 million older persons still do not receive a benefit.
Only 60.1 per cent of the population is affiliated to a publicly mandated programme guaranteeing affordable access to health care.
Coverage gaps are associated with a significant underinvestment in social protection: less than 13 per cent of GDP is spent on social protection and only 6.5 per cent on health protection.