India's social protection coverage rises to 64.3% in 2025 from 19% in 2015
This story was originally published at 14:06 IST on 11 June 2025
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MUMBAI – India's social security coverage has risen to 64.3% in 2025 from 48.8% in 2022 and only 19% in 2015, implying over 940 million Indians are now covered under at least one social protection benefit, according to the latest data from the International Labour Organization.
The labour ministry in a release said India now ranks second in the world in terms of beneficiary count. The International Labour Organization's criteria for scheme consideration for each country include that the scheme should be legislatively backed, in cash and be active, and verified time series data of last three years has to be provided.
The present figure for social security coverage in India reflects only Phase I of the data pooling exercise, the labour ministry said. This phase focused on beneficiary data of central sector schemes and women-centric schemes in selected eight states. "With Phase II and further consolidation underway, it is expected that India's total social protection coverage will soon surpass the 100-crore (1 billion) mark upon verification of additional schemes by the ILO," the ministry said.
The increase in social protection coverage will further strengthen India's global engagements, particularly in finalising social security agreements with developed nations, the ministry said. "These agreements will ensure the portability of social protection benefits for Indian professionals working overseas, while offering partner countries the transparency required for mutual recognition frameworks," the ministry said. "This will further bolster India's position in trade and labour mobility negotiations by showcasing a credible and robust social protection regime." End
Reported by Shubham Rana
Edited by Tanima Banerjee
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