Social security

Social security plays an important role in providing income and ensuring effective access to health care and other basic services. It constitutes an investment to the extent that it enables people to engage in productive employment, promotes socially sustainable growth and fosters social cohesion. This research programme addresses four broad topics.

The first topic includes an analysis of global, regional and national trends in social security expenditure and financing, as well as in social security coverage and benefit levels.

The second topic examines the short- and long-term returns on investments in social security/social protection systems. It explores the impacts of these systems on poverty, inequality, labour markets dynamics, child labour, health status, education, productivity and economic growth.

The third topic focuses on the development of models to i) assess fiscal space, and ii) simulate impacts of different social policy options on social and economic development.

Finally, the project includes an analysis of policy linkages between wage setting mechanisms and other labour protection policies aimed at providing income security and reducing inequality.

Featured publications

  1. Media advisory

    The International Migration Review Forum to take place from 17-20 May 2022

  2. Policy Briefing

    Addressing inequities in access to health care for vulnerable groups in countries of the European region

    This paper analyses the implementation of a social protection package in Zambia and introduces the concept of creating fiscal space to finance social protection.

  3. Extension of Social Security Series

    The concept of fiscal space and its applicability to the development of social protection policy in Zambia

    This paper analyses the implementation of a social protection package in Zambia and introduces the concept of creating fiscal space to finance social protection.

  4. Working paper

    ILO survey on social dialogue and pension reform in times of crisis and beyond: Slovenia

    This paper examines the political economy of pension reforms in times of economic crisis and its impact on social dialogue and tripartite institutions in Slovenia.

  5. Extension of Social Security Series

    Evidence on gender inequities in social health protection: The case of women living in rural areas

    This paper examines issues concerning inequalities in health for rural women: the differences in utilization of health care between men and women, and between women living in rural and urban areas; the barriers to utilization of health services for women in rural areas, and the systemic weaknesses for rural women.

  6. Extension of Social Security Series

    Social security and food security: Successful policy experiences in Brazil

    This paper presents an analysis of the reciprocal relation between the concepts of social security and food security as applied in public policy, with particular emphasis on the social protection floor.

  7. Extension of Social Security Series

    Can the European elderly afford the financial burden of health and long-term care? Assessing impacts and policy implications

    This paper assesses the financial impact of private health and long-term care expenditure on households of the elderly, in particular, the impact of out-of-pocket payments at the time of service delivery and related policy implications.

  8. Asian Development Bank publication

    Providing Social Security in Old Age: The International Labour Organization View

    Focuses on the question of the universalization of affordable retirement as part of a wider objective to guarantee a basic social security package for all.

  9. Working paper

    Social protection and minimum wages responses to the 2008 financial and economic crisis: Findings from the ILO/World Bank Inventory

    Employment Working Paper No. 113

  10. Book

    Pension reform in Central and Eastern Europe: in times of crisis, austerity and beyond

    The paper reviews the performance of the current pension system during the period of the global economic crisis, and through comparative analysis provides possible solutions to the challenges which these countries are facing.

  11. Book

    Employment and social protection in Viet Nam

    This study provides an empirical analysis on the formal sector’s participation in mandatory social insurance, followed by a review of international practices on the interplay between employment and the social protection system.

  12. Book

    The economic prospects of Vietnam and what it means for migration policy

    This book examines the Vietnam’s labour market in the context of market-oriented development with continued export-oriented industrialization and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow, and what its implications are for domestic and international migration.

  13. International Social Security Review

    Beyond legal coverage: Assessing the performance of social health protection

    This paper proposes a new approach to measuring performance of social health protection by applying a set of relevant indicators in an analytical framework.