The OECD Risks that Matter (RTM) Programme was first launched as a key output of the 2018 OECD Social Policy Ministerial in Montréal, Canada under the supervision of the OECD’s Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Committee (ELSAC). Ministers called on the OECD to help governments better incorporate people’s opinions in the policymaking process, better understand both real and perceived risks people face, and better adapt social protection to a world characterised by rapidly changing risks and opportunities.
Results from RTM 2018 showed that people in even the wealthiest countries in the world were worried about their health and economic security, and they wanted governments to do more when providing social protection. Informed by these findings, the 2020 wave of the RTM focused on economic insecurity and social service delivery during COVID-19, and the 2022 wave offered an update on perceived risks and social protection preferences emerging from the pandemic and in the face of the cost-of-living crisis. Over time, a few consistent findings have emerged: most people want to see more government intervention in the areas of health, financial security, and support for older people via pensions and long-term care.
Results from 2024 reaffirm these results, illustrating a widely-held truth: across OECD countries, many people rely on governments’ social safety nets to help ensure their economic security and give them the foundation to live healthy, productive and happy lives.
Beyond the standard social and economic risks featured in previous waves of the RTM Survey, the 2024 wave additionally includes special segments on two megatrends – technological change and population ageing. These results highlight strong support for social programmes that foster economic growth and security, including greater public investments in re-training and education to ensure workers have the right skills for the future. The results also show that a clear majority support getting more women into the workforce, the use of technology in workplaces, and moving part-time workers to full-time jobs to address projected worker shortages driven by population ageing. Fertility measures are less popular.
RTM 2024 also finds that there is limited willingness to pay more for better provision of social protection. This means that governments must look to improving efficiency in social programme applications and delivery. As governments reshape social protection systems to make them fit for the future and more efficient, including through digitalisation and the increasing use of AI, the OECD Risks that Matter Survey offers valuable insights into citizens’ perspectives.