ILO ranks India 2nd in world for social security cover to poor as headcount crosses 94 cr

Geneva: India has achieved a historic milestone in recording a 45 percentage point jump in the social security coverage of its population over the last decade to cover 94 crore people and is now being ranked second in the world on the dashboard of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

According to the latest ILO data, India’s social security coverage has increased from 19 per cent in 2015 to 64.3 per cent in 2025, an unprecedented 45 percentage point surge over the past decade.

ILO has acknowledged India’s achievement and officially published on its dashboard that 64.3 per cent of India’s population, i.e. over 94 crore people, are now covered under at least one social protection benefit.

Director General ILO praised India’s focussed welfare policies for the poor and labour class under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

ILO’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.

While holding a bilateral discussion with the Director General, ILO, Gilbert F. Houngbo on the sidelines of the International Labour Conference (ILC), India’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted the pro-poor and labour welfare schemes undertaken by the Modi Government over the past 11 years.

The Minister also apprised DG ILO about the national-level Social Protection Data Pooling Exercise that has been carried out by the Government in collaboration with the ILO.

Mandaviya said, “This remarkable achievement stands as a testament to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the relentless efforts of the Government in building an inclusive and rights-based social protection ecosystem. The increase marks the fastest expansion in social protection coverage worldwide, reflecting the Government’s unwavering commitment to ‘Antyodaya’ i.e., empowering the last mile and fulfilling the promise of leaving no one behind.”

The present figure reflects only Phase I of the data pooling exercise. This phase focussed on beneficiary data of Central sector schemes and women-centric schemes in selected 8 States. With Phase II and further consolidation underway, it is expected that India’s total social protection coverage will soon surpass the 100-crore mark upon verification of additional schemes by the ILO.

India is also the first country globally to update its 2025 social protection coverage data in the ILOSTAT database, reinforcing its leadership in digital governance and transparency in welfare systems.

Moreover, the increase in Social Protection Coverage will further strengthen India’s global engagements, particularly in finalising Social Security Agreements (SSAs) with developed nations.

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. This will further bolster India’s position in trade and labour mobility negotiations by showcasing a credible and robust social protection regime.

Mandaviya is leading an Indian delegation to Geneva, Switzerland, from 10th to 12th June 2025 to participate in the 113th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) of the ILO.

–IANS