Half a million of the global population lacks social protection

By Benjamin Jumbe:

More than half of the global population – some four billion people – have no social security protection.

This is according to the World Social Protection Report 2017-2019, entitled Universal social protection to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, in which the UN International Labour Organization highlights how this protection gap is an obstacle to reaching globally-agreed targets on promoting growth and development, and protecting the planet.

ILO Director-General Guy Ryder said that although many countries had improved social protection for their citizens in recent decades, much more investment and political is needed to extend coverage.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva, he said that social security protection is a basic human right, and “when people don’t have it, governments reap the benefits.”

Ryder explains that only 45 per cent of the global population have access to at least one social benefit, and only 29 per cent have comprehensive protection.

Despite a slight improvement in welfare coverage since 2015 around the world, much more investment by governments will be needed to extend protection to all; not least the 1.3 billion children who have no cover whatsoever.

Written by David Kugonza