Half the World Shielded: Social Security Reaches Unprecedented Heights

In a historic milestone, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has reported that for the first time ever, over half of the world's population is now under at least one social protection benefit. As per the World Social Protection Report 2024-26, 52.4% of individuals worldwide are covered by some social security. This is a dramatic jump from 42.8% in 2015. Still, the report points out that 3.8 billion individuals, of which 1.8 billion are children, do not have any social protection whatsoever. The ILO calls attention to the critical necessity to expedite efforts to achieve universal coverage, particularly in climate-risk countries where protection deficits are still vast.

 

Source: International Labour Organization