Share of the population covered by at least one social protection benefit (including contributory and non‑contributory programs)

This statistic shows the share of a country’s total population that is effectively covered by at least one social protection benefit. It includes both contributory schemes (e.g., social insurance pensions, unemployment insurance) and non‑contributory programs (e.g., social assistance cash transfers, child/family benefits), capturing whether people receive support across the life cycle.

Coverage differs dramatically across countries because it depends on formal employment levels, administrative capacity, program design, and eligibility rules. The indicator is widely used to track progress on SDG 1.3 (implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all), and it helps reveal where large parts of the population remain unprotected against shocks such as job loss, disability, old age, or crises.