Social expenditure includes cash benefits, in-kind goods and services, and tax breaks with a social purpose.
It covers support aimed at groups such as low-income households, the elderly, disabled, unemployed, sick or young people. Programmes must involve either compulsory participation or redistribution across households to be considered “social”. Expenditure is public if managed by general government (including social security), and private if managed outside of it. Private transfers between individuals are excluded. Net total social expenditure includes both public and private spending, adjusted for the impact of taxes and tax breaks.
This indicator is measured as a percentage of GDP.
