Historical data for available years and programmes were validated at the time of data collection. They have not been updated, however, as the SOCR project currently remains on hold.
OECD Social Benefit Recipients Database
The OECD’s Social Benefit Recipients Database (SOCR) provides unique comparable information on the number of people receiving cash benefits across countries, including data for the main income replacement benefits and top-ups: Unemployment, social assistance, disability, old-age, in-work benefits, job-retention schemes, as well as rent allowances.
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OECD-SOCR database - Annual and high-frequency data series
OECD-SOCR, covering the main income replacement benefits in 41 EU and OECD countries provides a unique source of comparable information on the number of individuals receiving income replacement benefits across countries. This database can be used to monitor programme participation and coverage rates, and provides contextual information for interpreting spending statistics and indicators of work incentives and benefit adequacy. It also sheds light on the dynamics of social benefit receipt in the context of the economic crisis in recent years. It currently covers twelve years (2007-2018) for most OECD and EU countries.
For instance, across the OECD area, income assistance for working-age people accounted for much of the resources devoted to COVID-19 emergency packages. Reform pressures persisted as temporary support measures expired and, as government budgets deteriorated. Government transfers shape households' ability to cope with crises, and to make the most of dynamic labour markets. Accessible social protection is also a key objective in countries' commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Programme-level data by country
This release includes the number of recipients (usually annual averages) of the main income replacement programmes from 2007 to 2018. SOCR country-specific files below containing annual recipient stocks of selected programmes [xlsx] and metadata containing qualitative information about benefits and the units in which recipients stocks are expressed [pdf].
- Israel [xlsx] [pdf]
- Italy [xlsx] [pdf]
- Japan [xlsx] [pdf]
- Korea [xlsx] [pdf]
- Latvia [xlsx] [pdf]
- Lithuania [xlsx] [pdf]
- Luxembourg [xlsx] [pdf]
- Mexico [xlsx] [pdf]
- Netherlands [xlsx] [pdf]
- New Zealand [xlsx] [pdf]
- Norway [xlsx] [pdf]
- Poland [xlsx] [pdf]
- Portugal [xlsx] [pdf]
- Slovak Republic [xlsx] [pdf]
- Slovenia [xlsx] [pdf]
Pseudo-coverage rates of unemployment benefits
Pseudo-coverage is the total number of recipients of a given programme or group of programmes relative to the number of individuals in some group of interest, which usually is the one a priori targeted by the programme(s).
In the chart, the numerator is the number of beneficiaries of earnings-related unemployment benefits (unemployment insurance) and of non-contributory benefits (unemployment assistance) for jobseekers who have exhausted their insurance benefit or were not entitled to it.
The denominator is the number of unemployed individuals (over 15 years old) according to the ILO definition. It is important to note that these coverage rates are not shares since the numerator and the denominator may only partially overlap; for this reason, measured pseudo-coverage rates can exceed 100%.
Methodological notes
The SOCR database relies on administrative data provided by governments and has been compiled as part of an ambitious joint project initiated by OECD and the European Commission in 2010. Along with existing information on social spending (SOCX) and on the adequacy of benefit levels (TaxBEN), the SOCR data shed light on the effectiveness and efficiency of social protection policies.
The Social benefits Recipients High-Frequency (SOCR-HF) database seeks to facilitate monitoring the responsiveness of social protection measures during and after the COVID-19 crisis. It was initiated as a pilot extension of the SOCR database and is currently available for selected OECD countries.