BackADB social protection report: India behind Timor Leste and Nepal
While India spent 1.7% of its GDP on social protection schemes in 2009, Timor Leste spent 5.9% and Nepal 2.1%: ADB
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New Delhi: Timor Leste and Nepal spent more than the Indian government on social protection, defined as government spending to help vulnerable groups prevent, reduce and cope with risks including natural disasters, said an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report on assessing such spending in the Asia and Asia-Pacific region.
“The SPI (Social Protection Index) results suggest that, despite steep GDP (gross domestic product) gains in recent decades, the majority of countries in Asia and the Pacific—particularly those that have graduated to middle-income status—have not correspondingly strengthened their systems of social protection," said the authors of the June report.
While India was found to have spent 1.7% of its GDP on health, income, employment and other social protection schemes in 2009, the report showed middle-income country Timor Leste spent 5.9% and lower-income Nepal 2.1%.
Japan was ranked highest in the Asia and Pacific region, with 8% of GDP being spent on programmes such as pensions, health coverage and unemployment insurance. China was found to have spent 5.4% through social assistance programmes such as a minimum living allowance extended to the urban and rural poor.
India’s rural jobs programme, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee, accounted for 38% of all social protection spending, the report found.
However, India scored low on assistance to the disabled, and social insurance such as pensions, insurance and disaster relief.
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