India's social security coverage has significantly increased to 64.3 per cent, up from just 19 per cent in 2015. Over the past 11 years, this expansion has enabled more individuals in need to receive support. According to the International Labour Organization's (ILO) ILOSTAT database, this 45 percentage point growth is remarkable. Gilbert F. Houngbo, the Director General of the ILO, acknowledged India's significant progress in extending social security to a larger population and implementing various labour welfare schemes aimed at assisting those in poverty.
In 2015, social security coverage was at 19 per cent. This figure increased to 24.4 per cent in 2019 and further rose to 48.8 per cent in 2022. In 2025, 64.3 per cent of citizens (over 94 crore people) are covered under any one of the government-offered social security schemes.
India now stands in 2nd position globally in terms of the number of beneficiaries covered under any one of the social security schemes. As per the government statement, the DG ILO commended the efforts of the government in initiating 'focused welfare policies for the poor and labour class'.
Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Labour and Employment, and Youth Affairs and Sports, said, "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 ILO selects welfare schemes of the countries based on specific criteria to determine the coverage for beneficiaries. The criteria state that the scheme should have legislative backing, provide cash benefits, be an active scheme, and have data available for the last three years.
However, the data currently present pertains to only the first phase of the data pooling exercise. According to the report, the first phase collected data from the selected eight states and focused on the central and women-centric schemes. The data from the second phase and other consolidations are underway. Once that is included, the government expects the social security coverage number to increase by at least six crore and surpass the 100 crore milestone.
When it comes to updating the database, India is the first country globally to update the ILOSTAT database in 2025. According to the government release, the increase in social security coverage will strengthen India's engagement with developed countries and grow their social security agreements (SSAs).
This would help the government to extend social security benefits to Indian citizens working in the partner countries. It will not only benefit Indian citizens by providing them with social protection coverage but also improve labour mobility-related negotiations.
