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World Social Protection Report 2020-22 by ILO: Half of World Population, 4.1 billion don’t have Social Security

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ILO's World Social Protection Report 2020-22In September 2021, International Labour Organization (ILO) has released its flagship report on social protection named ‘World Social Protection Report 2020-22: Social protection at the crossroads – in pursuit of a better future’.

  • As per the report, half of the global population i.e. 53 percent (4.1 billion) did not have any kind of social security.

Key Findings of the report:

i.As of 2020, only 46.9 percent of the global population are effectively covered by at least 1 social protection benefit, while the remaining 53.1 percent (4.1 billion) people obtain no income security at all from their national social protection system.

ii.Government Spending: On average, around 12.8 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) were spent by the countries on social protection (excluding health).

  • High-income countries spend around 16.4 percent, whereas low-income countries spent only 1.1 percent of their GDP on social protection.

iii.Regional Inequalities: 

The different rates of coverage under social protection worldwide are as follows,

  • Europe and Central Asia –  84 percent of people being covered by at least one benefit. Americas – 64.3 percent; Asia and Pacific -44 percent; the Arab States -40 percent; and Africa – 17.4 per cent.

iv.Additional Investment:

Since the start of the COVID-19, the additional spending required to ensure at least minimum social protection for all was increased by ~ 30 percent.

  • The low-income countries require an additional investment of – US$77.9 billion per year (equivalent to 15.9 percent of GDP) to ensure minimum social protection.
  • Lower-middle-income countries – US$362.9 billion per year (equivalent to 5.1 percent of GDP).
  • Upper-middle-income countries will require US$750.8 billion per year (equivalent to 3.1 percent of GDP).

v.Worldwide Report: Only 1 in 4 children (26.4 per cent) worldwide receives a social protection benefit, only 45 percent of women with newborns worldwide receive a cash maternity benefit, and only 1 in 3 persons with severe disabilities (33.5 per cent) worldwide receive a disability benefit.

Social Protection: It includes access to health care and income security measures related to old age, unemployment, sickness, disability, work injury, or the loss of the main breadwinner in a family, etc.

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About International Labour Organization (ILO):

Establishment – 1919
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
Director-General – Guy Ryder
Member Countries – 187 member States