Effective social policy protects individuals and helps them lead a fulfilling life. A modern system of social protection goes hand in-hand with economic dynamism.  Reducing poverty throughout the life-course, preventing benefit dependency and acting against social exclusion are key policy goals in all OECD countries.

The role of the OECD in this area is to identify policies which help individuals and make societies and economies work more effectively. Social policies must be pro-active , stressing investment in people's capabilities and the realisation of their potential, not merely insuring them against misfortune. Helping people get and keep jobs is often the best way of improving their standard of life.

Social and family policies must aim to give children and young people the best possible start to their lives. Providing all parents with better choices about how to balance work and family life extends opportunities, especially for women, and creates economic gains. For the working-age population, wages and benefits for periods out of work, disability policies  as well as poverty and, more generally, income distribution  are of great importance. Ageing-related policies such as the reform of pension systems are crucial to cope with demographic change .

Our recommendations on policy are based on evidence - from reviewing national practice, but also from developing internationally-comparable data sets. Social indicators  and data on social expenditures  reveal whether trends in society and policy are common across countries and whether policy interventions are effective or not.

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