Total expenditure on social protection benefits in the EU reached €4,925 billion in 2024, according to early estimates, with Finland spending most as a percentage of GDP at 32.5 per cent of GDP.
According to figures from the EU statistics agency Eurostat, total expenditure on social benefits in the EU represented a 6.9% increase compared with 2023.
Data show that social protection benefits expenditure represented 27.3% of the EU’s GDP, indicating a 0.6 percentage points (pp) increase compared with the previous year.
Highest social protection benefits expenditure as a percentage of GDP were also France (31.9%) and Austria (31.8%). The lowest in Ireland (12.4%), Malta (13.4%) and Hungary (16.6%).
Among social protection benefits, old age (€2,044 billion, 41.5% of the total) and sickness/health care (€1,463 billion, 29.7%) benefits represented the biggest expenditures. Other categories included disability, survivors, family/children, unemployment, housing and social exclusion not classified elsewhere.
In 2024, social protection benefits expenditure increased in all EU countries. The largest increases compared with 2023 were recorded in Estonia (+19.5%), Croatia (+17.8%) and Romania (+17.5%), while the smallest increases were registered in Greece (+3.2%), Sweden (+3.9%) and Italy and Denmark (each +4.3%).
This information comes from the early estimates on social protection expenditure published recently by Eurostat. They cover the main indicators of the European System of Integrated Social Protection Statistics (ESSPROS) and are provided by the reporting countries on a voluntary basis.
Statistics explained article on social protection statistics – early estimates
Statistics explained article on social protection statistics – social benefits
