Social protection in the European Union

This 'Statistics in Focus' describes and analyses the expenditure and the receipts of social protection in different European countries. In 2004, social protection expenditure accounted for 27.3% of GDP in EU 25. This average masks high disparities between countries. Expenditure on old-age and survivors' benefits account for a large part of social benefits in most countries. Different countries have markedly different systems for financing social protection.