Social protection expenditure; functions, in kind or cash, means-test

Social protection expenditure; functions, in kind or cash, means-test

Periods Total social protection expenditure (million euros) Functions Sickness/Health care (million euros) Functions Disability (million euros) Functions Old age (million euros) Functions Survivors’ (million euros) Functions Family/children (million euros) Functions Unemployment (million euros) Functions Housing (million euros) Functions Social exclusion not elsewhere classif.. (million euros) Benefits in cash or in kind Benefits in cash (million euros) Benefits in cash or in kind Benefits in kind (million euros) Means-testing Means-tested (million euros) Means-testing Non means-tested (million euros)
1995 86,685 25,387 10,233 29,492 5,083 4,314 6,009 1,188 4,979 63,874 22,811 7,468 79,217
2000 102,240 29,841 11,997 38,014 5,465 5,288 5,286 1,545 4,804 72,034 30,206 10,486 91,754
2005 132,274 41,125 12,581 51,156 6,936 6,965 6,456 1,712 5,343 90,509 41,765 12,599 119,675
2010 177,354 64,918 14,388 63,620 7,486 7,853 6,778 2,241 10,070 111,453 65,901 23,093 154,261
2015 193,895 64,254 17,923 74,067 7,642 7,613 8,889 3,104 10,403 124,038 69,857 28,377 165,518
2017 203,407 68,457 18,662 77,801 7,738 8,495 7,608 3,439 11,207 129,480 73,927 30,072 173,335
2018 209,726 72,064 19,368 80,065 7,676 8,869 6,634 3,508 11,542 131,697 78,029 31,277 178,449
2019 219,000 76,185 20,320 83,438 7,753 9,959 6,013 3,555 11,777 135,667 83,333 32,814 186,186
2020 233,638 81,944 21,285 87,643 7,823 10,551 8,430 3,814 12,148 144,762 88,876 35,370 198,268
2021* 243,176 87,288 21,347 92,137 7,919 11,141 6,627 4,004 12,713 148,582 94,594 36,551 206,625
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table provides an overview of social protection expenditure in the Netherlands. Social protection encompasses all interventions from public or private bodies intended to relieve households and individuals of the burden of a defined set of risks or needs, provided that there is neither a simultaneous reciprocal nor an individual arrangement involved. This includes benefits provided by social assistance schemes, social insurance funds, pension funds, benefits directly paid by employers, and direct service provision to households. Benefits can be provided in kind or in cash, and benefits can be means-tested or non means-tested.

The defined set of risks and needs within social protection can be classified in eight functions according to the European System of Integrated Social PROtection Statistics (ESSPROS). In addition, social protection expenditure is classified as provided in cash or in kind, or provided as means-tested or non means-tested benefits. Social protection expenditure is allocated to the period in which the rights for the transaction arose (transaction basis), and not to the period in which the transaction actually took place (cash basis).

Data available from:
Yearly figures from 1995

Status of the figures:
The figures in this table are provisional at the time of first publication. Upon the second publication one year later, the figures will become definitive.

Changes as of 20 December 2022:
Provisional figures for 2021 have been published.
In the context of the revision policy of the National accounts the annual figures have been revised.
The figures for 2020 have become final.

When will new figures be published?
New figures will be published 20 months after the respective calendar year ends. Previous provisional figures will then become final.
More information on the revision policy of National Accounts can be found under 'relevant articles' under paragraph 3.

Description topics

Total social protection expenditure
Social protection encompasses all interventions from public or private bodies intended to relieve households and individuals of the burden of a defined set of risks or needs, provided that there is neither a simultaneous reciprocal nor an individual arrangement involved. The social protection benefits are drawn up within the framework of ESSPROS and are established in the ESSPROS manual.
Functions
The functional classification of social protection expenditure classifies the benefits of social protection schemes according to their respective risks and needs (functions). A scheme can cover several functions, the expenditure is then distributed over several functions, but double counting does not occur. The sum of expenditure from all functions therefore always gives the total amounts paid out from all social protection schemes in the selected year.
Sickness/Health care
Income maintenance and support in cash in connection with physical or mental illness, excluding disability. Health care intended to maintain, restore or improve the health of the people protected irrespective of the origin of the disorder.
Disability
Income maintenance and support in cash or kind (except health care) in connection with the inability of physically or mentally disabled people to engage in economic and social activities.
Old age
Income maintenance and support in cash or kind (except health care) in connection with old age.
Survivors’
Income maintenance and support in cash or kind in connection with the death of a family member.
Family/children
Support in cash or kind (except health care) in connection with the costs of pregnancy, childbirth and adoption, bringing up children and caring for other family members.
Unemployment
Income maintenance and support in cash or kind in connection with unemployment.
Housing
Help towards the cost of housing, such as rent benefits.
Social exclusion not elsewhere classif..
Social exclusion not elsewhere classified.
Benefits in cash or kind (except health care) specifically intended to combat social exclusion where they are not covered by one of the other functions.
Benefits in cash or in kind
Social protection benefits can be classified as cash benefits or benefits in kind. The sum of both cash and in-kind benefits always gives the total amounts paid out from all social protection schemes in the selected year.
Benefits in cash
Persons entitled to benefits receive support in the form of cash that is paid out to the beneficiaries.
Benefits in kind
Benefits are provided directly to the beneficiary in the form of services or goods, but not in the form of money.
Means-testing
For some benefits, an income test can take place, whereby the entitlement to benefits depends on the individual income situation. Social protection benefits are classified for benefits for which an income test is required and for which no income test is applicable. As with the distribution by functions and distribution by money or in kind, the sum of the benefits is always the same as the total amounts paid out of all social protection schemes in the selected year because double counting does not occur.
Means-tested
An income test does take place when determining whether a benefit recipient is eligible for the benefit.
Non means-tested
There is no income test when determining whether a beneficiary is eligible for the benefit.