Social Expenditure Database (SOCX)

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SOCX data - Related data

The OECD Social Expenditure Database (SOCX) has been developed in order to serve a growing need for indicators of social policy. It includes reliable and internationally comparable statistics on public and (mandatory and voluntary) private social expenditure at programme level. This version also includes for the first time estimates of net total social spending for 2007 for 27 OECD countries.

SOCX provides a unique tool for monitoring trends in aggregate social expenditure and analysing changes in its composition. It covers 33 OECD countries for the period 1980-2007. The main social policy areas are as follows: Old age, Survivors, Incapacity-related benefits, Health, Family, Active labour market programmes, Unemployment, Housing, and Other social policy areas.

What's new?

October 2011: “Is the European welfare state really more expensive? Indicators on social spending, 1980-2012 and a manual to the OECD Social Expenditure database (SOCX)" (OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers No. 124) (.pdf - 2mb)

- Gross public social expenditure on average across OECD increased from 16% of GDP in 1980 to 19% in 2007, of which public pensions (7% of GDP) and public health expenditure (6% of GDP) are the largest items... (see below aggregated data)

- Key tables and charts are available in a .zip file

Public social spending in selected OECD countries,

in percentage of GDP, 1980-2012

Social spending aggregates based on detailed data for 1980-2007; aggregate spending projections for 2008-2012

Download the data (.xls)

September 2011: Towards national social protection floors (at G20 Labour and Employment Ministerial)

SOCX data

SOCX 1980-2007 contains 3 datasets 

- Aggregated data
- Reference series  
  (more reference series i.e. population, employment, unemployment, etc. can be found via OECD Social Indicators)

- Detailed data by social programme 

   via OECD.Stat for OECD/OLIS users
   via OECD iLibrary for other public.

Public and private social expenditure in percentage of GDP in 2007

Previous versions of SOCX database:

• OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers No. 92, November 2009
  “How Expensive is the Welfare State? Gross and Net Indicators in the OECD Social Expenditure Database (SOCX)" (.pdf - 1.6mb)

• Social Expenditure Statistics of OECD Members Countries, Provisional Version (Labour Market and Social Policy Occasional Papers No. 17): part 1 - part 2

Related data

Relationship between social spending effort and poverty, see Gapminder dynamic chart: do countries have the poverty rate they are prepared to pay for?

Ø  OECD databases:

Ø  Europe: Eurostat Esspros database on social protection

Ø  Asia: ADB Social Protection Index

Ø  Worldwide:

Click here if you wish to be informed when the SOCX database is updated.

For comments and questions please email social.contact@oecd.org