This Labor Day, we reflect on the fundamental rights and protections that enable employees to thrive. However, the latest ILO report reveals a concerning reality: billions of people still lack adequate social protection—a situation that undermines the very foundations of decent work and climate resilience.
Social protection plays a critical role in addressing the impacts of climate change. While 52.4% of the world’s population is currently covered by some form of social protection, in some countries, more than 90% of people are excluded from it.
In 50 vulnerable countries, 75% of the population—approximately 2.1 billion people—do not receive any form of social protection. Globally, governments fail to provide social protection for 76.1% of children. A significant gender gap also persists: coverage among women stands at just 50.1%, compared to 54.6% for men.
The disparity in social protection spending is equally stark. While the global average (excluding health) is 12.9% of GDP, high-income countries invest an average of 16.2%. In contrast, low-income countries can afford to spend only 0.8% of GDP.
According the ILO report, social protection plays key role in countering climate change impact in countries offers a set of policy actions to help close this gap and build more resilient, equitable societies.