Share of population covered by at least one social protection benefit (%)

This statistic measures the share of a country’s total population that is effectively covered by at least one social protection benefit (cash or in-kind), such as child/family benefits, unemployment benefits, old-age pensions, disability benefits, maternity benefits, employment-injury benefits, or social assistance.

It is a useful “big picture” indicator of how far a country has progressed toward universal social protection. High coverage generally reflects broad access to contributory schemes (like pensions) and/or tax-funded social assistance, while low coverage often indicates large informal labor markets, limited fiscal space, or fragmented benefit programs. Cross-country comparisons should account for differences in program design, eligibility rules, and data availability.