Youth4GlobalGoals on Goal 1

Social protection programmes reduce the brunt of poverty and can also prevent people from falling into poverty in the first place. By helping to prevent and ease poverty and inequality at every stage of people’s lives, such programmes make societies more inclusive and stable. However, only 45 per cent of the world’s population are effectively covered by at least one social protection cash benefit. The remaining 55 per cent—as many as 4 billion people—have been left behind.

The extent of coverage depends on the type of protection system and the region. Globally, 68 per cent of people above retirement age receive a pension, but the benefits in many countries are often not enough to lift older people out of poverty. Data also show a global deficit of social protection for other groups: only 22 per cent of the unemployed receive unemployment benefit payments, 28 per cent of persons with severe disabilities receive disability cash benefits, one third of children are effectively covered by social protection, and only 41 per cent of women giving birth receive maternity cash benefits.