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Population covered by at least one social benefit
What this indicator measures
Social protection covers public support such as family allowances, pensions, unemployment benefits, and help in case of illness or disability. This ILO indicator gives the share of the population that receives at least one of these benefits or is covered by a social insurance scheme.
How to read this?
A high percentage means a large part of the population benefits from social protection.
Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest
In brief
Population covered by at least one social benefit: across 210 countries and territories, values range from 0 % (Somalia) to 100 % (Austria), with a world median of 54.1 %. Data: 2015–2025. The top 10% of countries exceed 99.5 %, while the bottom 10% stay below 8.3 %. By continent, the median is highest in Europe (91.4 %) and lowest in Africa (12.1 %).
Median by continent
- Europe 91.4 % (47)
- North America 59.8 % (35)
- South America 52.6 % (12)
- Oceania 48.6 % (17)
- Asia 41.7 % (47)
- Africa 12.1 % (49)
Why this indicator matters
Social protection helps people cope with illness, unemployment, old age or family costs. Comparing coverage shows what share of the population can count on a public safety net.
What makes this indicator vary
Coverage depends on the level of development, the weight of informal work, public funding, the choice between universal and employment-based benefits, and the age of social systems.
Reading precautions
The indicator counts people receiving at least one benefit, not the amount or quality of support. Survey methods may differ between countries, and some data are several years old.
Full ranking
ranked from highest to lowest
| Rank | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1er | 🇦🇹 Austria | 100 % | 2022 |
| 1er | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 100 % | 2022 |
| 1er | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 100 % | 2021 |
| 1er | 🇨🇰 Cook Islands | 100 % | 2022 |
| 1er | 🇩🇪 Germany | 100 % | 2022 |
| 1er | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 100 % | 2023 |
| 1er | 🇫🇮 Finland | 100 % | 2022 |
| 1er | 🇬🇱 Greenland | 100 % | 2023 |
| 1er | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 100 % | 2020 |
| 1er | 🇮🇲 Isle of Man | 100 % | 2022 |
| 1er | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 100 % | 2022 |
| 1er | 🇮🇷 Iran | 100 % | 2023 |
| 1er | 🇮🇱 Israel | 100 % | 2022 |
| 1er | 🇯🇪 Jersey | 100 % | 2022 |
| 1er | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 100 % | 2021 |
| 1er | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 100 % | 2022 |
| 1er | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 100 % | 2023 |
| 1er | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 100 % | 2022 |
| 1er | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 100 % | 2023 |
| 1er | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 100 % | 2022 |
| 21e | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 99.9 % | 2022 |
| 22e | 🇫🇷 France | 99.4 % | 2021 |
| 22e | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 99.4 % | 2022 |
| 24e | 🇳🇴 Norway | 99.3 % | 2023 |
| 25e | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 98.8 % | 2022 |
| 26e | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 97 % | 2022 |
| 26e | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 97 % | 2022 |
| 28e | 🇨🇦 Canada | 95.6 % | 2022 |
| 29e | 🇷🇺 Russia | 95.4 % | 2022 |
| 30e | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 95 % | 2021 |
| 31e | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 94.6 % | 2022 |
| 31e | 🇯🇵 Japan | 94.6 % | 2020 |
| 33e | 🇦🇼 Aruba | 94.3 % | 2021 |
| 33e | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 94.3 % | 2023 |
| 35e | 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands | 94.2 % | 2021 |
| 36e | 🇦🇺 Australia | 94 % | 2022 |
| 37e | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 93.6 % | 2023 |
| 38e | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 93.5 % | 2021 |
| 39e | 🇵🇼 Palau | 93.2 % | 2019 |
| 40e | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 93.1 % | 2022 |
| 41e | 🇵🇲 St. Pierre & Miquelon | 92.9 % | 2021 |
| 42e | 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 92 % | 2021 |
| 43e | 🇬🇬 Guernsey | 91.4 % | 2022 |
| 44e | 🇰🇳 St. Kitts & Nevis | 90.2 % | 2020 |
| 45e | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 89 % | 2022 |
| 46e | 🇮🇹 Italy | 88.8 % | 2022 |
| 47e | 🇸🇲 San Marino | 88.7 % | 2023 |
| 48e | 🇦🇩 Andorra | 86.7 % | 2022 |
| 48e | 🇲🇹 Malta | 86.7 % | 2021 |
| 50e | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 86.4 % | 2022 |
| 51e | 🇬🇷 Greece | 84.6 % | 2023 |
| 52e | 🇵🇱 Poland | 84.2 % | 2023 |
| 53e | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 82.8 % | 2022 |
| 54e | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 81.9 % | 2023 |
| 55e | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 81.4 % | 2022 |
| 56e | 🇲🇸 Montserrat | 81.2 % | 2021 |
| 57e | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 80.8 % | 2022 |
| 58e | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 80.2 % | 2022 |
| 59e | 🇧🇲 Bermuda | 80 % | 2021 |
| 60e | 🇷🇴 Romania | 79.8 % | 2022 |
| 61e | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 78.9 % | 2023 |
| 62e | 🇺🇸 United States | 78.8 % | 2023 |
| 63e | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 78.4 % | 2023 |
| 64e | 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands | 78.3 % | 2022 |
| 65e | 🇦🇱 Albania | 78.1 % | 2021 |
| 65e | 🇪🇸 Spain | 78.1 % | 2022 |
| 67e | 🇨🇳 China | 75.6 % | 2021 |
| 68e | 🇨🇱 Chile | 75.3 % | 2022 |
| 68e | 🇲🇴 Macao SAR China | 75.3 % | 2022 |
| 70e | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 74.7 % | 2021 |
| 71e | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 73 % | 2019 |
| 72e | 🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 72.6 % | 2022 |
| 73e | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 72.2 % | 2022 |
| 74e | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 71.2 % | 2022 |
| 75e | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 70.1 % | 2020 |
| 76e | 🇦🇮 Anguilla | 68.9 % | 2020 |
| 77e | 🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands | 66.7 % | 2022 |
| 78e | 🇱🇾 Libya | 66.1 % | 2021 |
| 78e | 🇵🇦 Panama | 66.1 % | 2022 |
| 80e | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 65.9 % | 2021 |
| 81e | 🇳🇷 Nauru | 65.8 % | 2020 |
| 82e | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 65.6 % | 2022 |
| 83e | 🇦🇬 Antigua & Barbuda | 65.4 % | 2020 |
| 83e | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 65.4 % | 2022 |
| 85e | 🇮🇳 India | 64.3 % | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 64 % | 2022 |
| 86e | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 64 % | 2022 |
| 88e | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 63.9 % | 2022 |
| 89e | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | 63.3 % | 2023 |
| 90e | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 61.2 % | 2023 |
| 91e | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 61 % | 2022 |
| 92e | 🇽🇰 Kosovo | 60.8 % | 2022 |
| 93e | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 60.3 % | 2023 |
| 94e | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 60.2 % | 2021 |
| 95e | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 59.8 % | 2022 |
| 96e | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 58.9 % | 2022 |
| 97e | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 58.3 % | 2025 |
| 98e | 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 57.4 % | 2019 |
| 99e | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | 57.2 % | 2022 |
| 100e | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 56.7 % | 2020 |
| 101e | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 56 % | 2022 |
| 102e | 🇲🇨 Monaco | 54.6 % | 2022 |
| 103e | 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | 54.5 % | 2021 |
| 104e | 🇬🇩 Grenada | 54.3 % | 2022 |
| 104e | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 54.3 % | 2021 |
| 106e | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 53.8 % | 2021 |
| 107e | 🇩🇲 Dominica | 53.2 % | 2020 |
| 108e | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 52.1 % | 2022 |
| 108e | 🇹🇨 Turks & Caicos Islands | 52.1 % | 2020 |
| 110e | 🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines | 52 % | 2019 |
| 111e | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 50.5 % | 2022 |
| 112e | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 49.3 % | 2019 |
| 113e | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 49.2 % | 2021 |
| 114e | 🇧🇸 Bahamas | 49.1 % | 2020 |
| 115e | 🇳🇺 Niue | 48.6 % | 2018 |
| 116e | 🇨🇼 Curaçao | 47.9 % | 2020 |
| 117e | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 47.5 % | 2022 |
| 118e | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 46.8 % | 2021 |
| 119e | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 42.9 % | 2022 |
| 120e | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 42.7 % | 2021 |
| 121e | 🇮🇶 Iraq | 41.7 % | 2022 |
| 122e | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 41.3 % | 2021 |
| 123e | 🇱🇨 St. Lucia | 40.1 % | 2020 |
| 124e | 🇹🇬 Togo | 38.7 % | 2022 |
| 125e | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 38.4 % | 2021 |
| 126e | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 38.3 % | 2022 |
| 127e | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 36.6 % | 2022 |
| 128e | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 36.1 % | 2021 |
| 128e | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 36.1 % | 2022 |
| 130e | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 36 % | 2019 |
| 130e | 🇧🇳 Brunei | 36 % | 2021 |
| 132e | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 35.2 % | 2023 |
| 133e | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 34.9 % | 2022 |
| 134e | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 34.1 % | 2023 |
| 135e | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 33.6 % | 2021 |
| 136e | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 32.6 % | 2022 |
| 137e | 🇧🇿 Belize | 32 % | 2021 |
| 138e | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 30.8 % | 2019 |
| 139e | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 30.3 % | 2021 |
| 140e | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 30.1 % | 2022 |
| 140e | 🇲🇻 Maldives | 30.1 % | 2021 |
| 140e | 🇵🇪 Peru | 30.1 % | 2024 |
| 143e | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 29.2 % | 2023 |
| 144e | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 28.8 % | 2022 |
| 145e | 🇹🇴 Tonga | 28.2 % | 2022 |
| 146e | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 25.2 % | 2022 |
| 146e | 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | 25.2 % | 2019 |
| 148e | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 23.1 % | 2024 |
| 149e | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 22.9 % | 2019 |
| 150e | 🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe | 22.1 % | 2021 |
| 151e | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 22 % | 2021 |
| 152e | 🇴🇲 Oman | 21.8 % | 2022 |
| 153e | 🇰🇮 Kiribati | 21 % | 2019 |
| 153e | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 21 % | 2022 |
| 155e | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 20.8 % | 2022 |
| 156e | 🇳🇪 Niger | 20.6 % | 2015 |
| 157e | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 20.5 % | 2019 |
| 158e | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 20.2 % | 2022 |
| 158e | 🇼🇸 Samoa | 20.2 % | 2023 |
| 160e | 🇫🇲 Micronesia | 20 % | 2021 |
| 160e | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 20 % | 2022 |
| 162e | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 19.9 % | 2022 |
| 162e | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 19.9 % | 2022 |
| 164e | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 18.8 % | 2021 |
| 165e | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 18.2 % | 2022 |
| 166e | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 17.2 % | 2019 |
| 167e | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 16.4 % | 2021 |
| 168e | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 16.1 % | 2022 |
| 169e | 🇱🇦 Laos | 15.5 % | 2021 |
| 170e | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 15.4 % | 2022 |
| 171e | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 15.3 % | 2021 |
| 172e | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 14.8 % | 2022 |
| 173e | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 13.5 % | 2022 |
| 174e | 🇲🇱 Mali | 12.6 % | 2022 |
| 175e | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 12.3 % | 2019 |
| 176e | 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire | 12.1 % | 2022 |
| 176e | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 12.1 % | 2022 |
| 178e | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 11.9 % | 2021 |
| 179e | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 11.7 % | 2021 |
| 180e | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 11.5 % | 2024 |
| 181e | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 11.4 % | 2021 |
| 182e | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 10.4 % | 2021 |
| 183e | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 10 % | 2022 |
| 184e | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 9.7 % | 2021 |
| 185e | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 9.1 % | 2022 |
| 186e | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 9 % | 2021 |
| 187e | 🇦🇴 Angola | 8.7 % | 2022 |
| 188e | 🇧🇯 Benin | 8.4 % | 2020 |
| 188e | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 8.4 % | 2021 |
| 190e | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 7.7 % | 2023 |
| 191e | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 7.5 % | 2019 |
| 192e | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 7 % | 2022 |
| 193e | 🇭🇹 Haiti | 6.6 % | 2022 |
| 194e | 🇬🇲 Gambia | 6.5 % | 2019 |
| 195e | 🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma) | 6.3 % | 2019 |
| 196e | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 6.2 % | 2019 |
| 197e | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 6 % | 2022 |
| 198e | 🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa | 5.2 % | 2022 |
| 198e | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 5.2 % | 2021 |
| 200e | 🇹🇻 Tuvalu | 4.5 % | 2019 |
| 201e | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 4.4 % | 2019 |
| 202e | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 4.1 % | 2022 |
| 202e | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 4.1 % | 2022 |
| 204e | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 3.7 % | 2021 |
| 205e | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 3.5 % | 2019 |
| 206e | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 3.1 % | 2022 |
| 206e | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 3.1 % | 2022 |
| 208e | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 2.5 % | 2020 |
| 208e | 🇹🇩 Chad | 2.5 % | 2022 |
| 210e | 🇸🇴 Somalia | 0 % | 2023 |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest value for "Population covered by at least one social benefit"?
The highest value is in Austria, at 100 % (2022).
Which country has the lowest value for "Population covered by at least one social benefit"?
The lowest value is in Somalia, at 0 % (2023).
What is the world median value of "Population covered by at least one social benefit"?
The world median is 54.1 %, calculated across 210 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.
What is the value of "Population covered by at least one social benefit" for France?
France scores 99.4 % (2021), ranking 22 out of 210 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).
Where does the "Population covered by at least one social benefit" data come from?
It comes from OIT – ILOSTAT : population couverte par au moins une prestation de protection sociale (ODD 1.3.1). Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.
What is a social protection benefit?
It is public support: a pension, family allowance, unemployment benefit, or help in case of illness or disability. Receiving just one is enough to be counted.
Does high coverage mean generous benefits?
Not necessarily. The indicator measures how many people receive at least one benefit, not its amount or duration. Two countries at the same level may offer very different protection.
Source and update
Source : OIT – ILOSTAT : population couverte par au moins une prestation de protection sociale (ODD 1.3.1). Site last updated: November 8, 2026.
Indicators in the same category : Work and social rights
- Children in child labor (ages 5-17)Child labor refers to work that deprives children of their childhood, their schooling or their health, or that is too hard for their age. This indicator gives the share of children aged 5 to 17 affected, based on household surveys. Only countries with a recent survey are included.
- Non-respect of freedom of association and collective bargainingThe International Labour Organization (ILO) rates, based on official texts and national sources, how far a country respects the right to form and join trade unions and to bargain collectively. The rating runs from 0 (fullest respect) to 10 (weakest respect).
- Legal monthly minimum wageThe minimum wage is the lowest monthly pay an employer is allowed to pay, set by law or by a national agreement. Countries with no national legal minimum wage (some countries where wages are set by sector agreements) are absent. Amounts are gross, for one month of full-time work. Here, the amount is converted into US dollars at the exchange rate of the year.
- Statutory monthly minimum wage in purchasing power parityThe minimum wage is the lowest monthly pay that an employer is allowed to pay, set by law or by a national agreement. Countries without a national statutory minimum wage (some countries where wages are set by sector-level agreements) are absent. Amounts are gross, for one month of full-time work. Here, the amount is adjusted for price differences between countries (purchasing power parity), which makes it easier to compare what can be bought with it.
- Employees covered by a collective agreementA collective agreement is an accord between employers and trade unions that sets working rules (pay, hours, leave) for an entire sector or company. This indicator is the share of employees to whom such an agreement applies, whether or not they are union members.
- Trade union membership rateA trade union is an organization that defends the interests of workers. The union membership rate is the share of employees who are members of a union. The data come from administrative statistics or national surveys, depending on the country.
- Legal retirement age (women)This is the age at which the law allows women to retire with a full pension. When the law provides for a gradual increase, the age in force in the year shown is used. Countries whose age depends on several conditions (long careers, number of children, etc.) and is given as a range are not included.
- Legal retirement age (men)This is the age at which the law allows men to retire with a normal pension. When the law provides for a gradual increase, the age in force in the year shown is used. Countries where the age depends on several conditions (long careers, number of children, etc.) and is given as a range are left out.