Over 100 Million Gain Coverage as ILO Social Protection Programme Hits Major Target

A major United Nations-backed initiative has helped bring social protection coverage to more than 100 million additional people worldwide over the last ten years, marking one of the most significant expansions of safety nets in recent history.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) announced the milestone on March 19, 2026, as part of its Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All. Launched in 2016, the programme works directly with governments to design and strengthen national systems that provide benefits such as pensions, unemployment support, maternity protection, disability payments, and child allowances – especially in low- and middle-income countries.

In the five-year period from 2021 to 2025, the programme surpassed its own goal of reaching 60 million people by supporting coverage for over 84 million. Nearly 29 million of those gains came in 2025 alone, driven by legal reforms, digital administration improvements, and increased public spending in priority countries.

Several nations have recorded particularly strong results. Uzbekistan passed legislation extending sickness and maternity benefits to millions of workers in the informal sector. Suriname ratified a key ILO convention and adopted a comprehensive national strategy, Angola more than doubled its budget allocation for social protection, while the Lao People’s Democratic Republic introduced mobile tools and better compliance monitoring to reach previously uncovered workers.

Sangheon Lee, the ILO’s acting Assistant Director-General for Jobs and Social Protection, described the progress as proof that long-term investment in system-building delivers sustainable results. “This isn’t about short-term handouts,” he said during a high-level partners meeting. “It’s about creating resilient national frameworks that can withstand economic shocks, climate impacts, and demographic change.”

The programme is now moving into its third phase (2026 – 2030), with plans to focus on 40 priority countries and aim for an additional 60 million people covered by the end of the decade – 20 million through legal changes, 30 million through effective access, and 10 million through broader, more comprehensive benefits.

Development partners, including the European Union and Ireland, reaffirmed their support, highlighting alignment with global strategies such as the EU Global Gateway and the UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions.

The announcement comes at a time when many countries face mounting pressure on public finances, rising inequality, ageing populations, and the need for “just transitions” away from carbon-intensive economies. Expanding social protection is increasingly seen as both a moral imperative and an economic stabilizer – helping prevent poverty spikes during crises and enabling workers to adapt to changing labour markets.

Full details, including country-level case studies, the Phase II report (2021 – 2025), and the strategy for Phase III (2026 – 2030), are available on the ILO website.