Books and reports

September 2021

  1. Flagship Report

    World Social Protection Report 2020-22: Social protection at the crossroads – in pursuit of a better future

    01 September 2021

    This ILO flagship report provides a global overview of recent developments in social protection systems, including social protection floors, and covers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

November 2017

  1. Flagship Report

    World Social Protection Report 2017-19: Universal social protection to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

    29 November 2017

    This ILO flagship report provides a global overview of recent trends in social protection systems, including social protection floors. Based on new data, it offers a broad range of global, regional and country data on social protection coverage, benefits and public expenditures on social protection.

June 2014

  1. Publication

    World Social Protection Report 2014-15: Building economic recovery, inclusive development and social justice

    03 June 2014

    This report presents the latest social security trends and provides information on social protection systems, coverage, benefits and expenditures in more than 190 countries.

November 2010

  1. Publication

    World Social Security Report 2010/11. Providing coverage in times of crisis and beyond

    16 November 2010

    This is the first in a new series of biennial reports that aim to map social security coverage globally, to presenting various methods and approaches for assessing coverage, and to identifying gaps in coverage. Backed by much comparative statistical data, this first report takes a comprehensive look at how countries are investing in social security, how they are financing it, and how effective their approaches are. The report examines the ways selected international organizations (the EU, OECD and ADB) monitor social protection and the correlation of social security coverage and the ILO Decent Work Indicators. The report's final section features a typology of national approaches to social security, with a focus on countries' responses to the economic crisis of 2008 -- and the lessons to be learned, especially concerning the short- and long-term management of pension schemes.

  2. Publication

    Extending Social Security to All

    16 November 2010

    This book outlines basic concepts such as the social protection floor and the social security staircase, analyses the affordability of various approaches, and examines the results of practices around the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

July 2009

  1. 110 Sw.frs.; US$105; UK£65; €75

    Building decent societies. Rethinking the role of social security in development

    31 July 2009

    This book makes the case for a comprehensive social security system to be developed in all countries, including the poorest ones, in order to eliminate desperate conditions of poverty, to reverse growing inequality and to sustain economic growth. This is a co-publication with Palgrave Macmillan

February 2009

  1. Publication

    Zambia. Social protection expenditure and performance review and social budget

    12 February 2009

    This report, a review of the output of the first year's work of the project, examines the objective of extending social protection coverage in the country.