Vol. 406 No. 1
56 Mr. D. Wallace asked the Minister for Social Welfare the percentage of gross domestic product spent on social welfare services in (1) Ireland and (2) each of the OECD countries for each year since 1987 and the projected percentage for the year 1991; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The comparative information requested by the Deputy, in so far as it is available, is given in the following table. Data since 1980 are also included for reference purposes. As far as 1988 is concerned, the drop in the percentage is caused by a lower level of growth in social welfare expenditure due, inter alia, to a substantial reduction in expenditure on sickness payments and in the numbers of unemployed, coupled with a substantial level of growth in gross domestic product.
Social Security Transfers¹ as a Percentage of GDP
|
1980 |
1981 |
1982 |
1983 |
1984 |
1985 |
1986 |
1987 |
1988 |
|
|
United States |
10.9 |
11.1 |
11.9 |
11.9 |
11.0 |
11.0 |
11.0 |
10.8 |
10.6 |
|
Japan |
10.1 |
10.6 |
11.0 |
11.3 |
11.1 |
11.0 |
11.4 |
11.8 |
11.8 |
|
Germany |
16.5 |
17.2 |
17.6 |
17.0 |
16.5 |
16.2 |
15.9 |
16.1 |
16.0 |
|
France |
19.2 |
20.3 |
21.2 |
21.5 |
21.8 |
22.1 |
22.0 |
21.8 |
21.7 |
|
United Kingdom |
11.5 |
12.9 |
13.8 |
13.8 |
13.9 |
13.8 |
14.0 |
13.1 |
— |
|
Italy |
14.1 |
15.7 |
16.3 |
17.3 |
16.7 |
17.1 |
17.3 |
17.3 |
17.3 |
|
Canada |
9.9 |
9.9 |
11.7 |
12.4 |
12.1 |
12.2 |
12.4 |
12.3 |
12.0 |
|
Total of above countries |
12.2 |
12.7 |
13.5 |
13.6 |
13.0 |
13.0 |
13.1 |
13.0 |
12.8 |
|
Austria |
19.0 |
19.5 |
19.9 |
20.0 |
20.0 |
20.4 |
20.6 |
21.1 |
20.3 |
|
Belgium |
20.8 |
22.5 |
22.3 |
22.7 |
22.2 |
21.7 |
21.2 |
21.4 |
20.9 |
|
Denmark |
16.6 |
17.8 |
18.1 |
17.8 |
17.0 |
16.3 |
15.5 |
16.3 |
17.6 |
|
Finland |
8.7 |
8.9 |
9.7 |
10.3 |
10.2 |
10.8 |
11.0 |
10.9 |
9.5 |
|
Greece |
9.2 |
11.0 |
13.0 |
13.4 |
14.0 |
14.8 |
15.0 |
14.9 |
15.3 |
|
Iceland |
4.5 |
4.7 |
4.8 |
4.4 |
4.4 |
4.7 |
4.6 |
4.9 |
5.4 |
|
Ireland |
12.6 |
13.6 |
15.6 |
16.3 |
16.1 |
16.6 |
17.2 |
16.8 |
16.2 |
|
Luxembourg |
22.8 |
23.9 |
23.3 |
22.7 |
22.1 |
22.0 |
22.4 |
— |
— |
|
Netherlands |
25.9 |
26.9 |
28.4 |
28.8 |
27.5 |
26.1 |
25.9 |
26.4 |
25.7 |
|
Norway |
14.4 |
14.5 |
15.0 |
15.5 |
15.0 |
14.8 |
15.9 |
16.3 |
— |
|
Portugal |
10.6 |
11.6 |
11.5 |
10.9 |
10.9 |
10.8 |
11.6 |
— |
— |
|
Spain |
14.2 |
15.6 |
15.5 |
16.1 |
16.0 |
16.5 |
16.2 |
— |
— |
|
Sweden |
17.7 |
18.2 |
18.4 |
18.4 |
17.5 |
18.2 |
18.3 |
18.6 |
— |
|
Switzerland |
12.7 |
12.4 |
13.2 |
13.5 |
14.1 |
13.7 |
13.6 |
13.6 |
13.8 |
|
Turkey |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Smaller European |
16.5 |
17.4 |
17.9 |
18.2 |
17.9 |
17.8 |
17.7 |
18.9 |
19.0 |
|
Australia |
8.2 |
8.4 |
9.5 |
9.8 |
9.9 |
9.6 |
9.4 |
9.3 |
8.8 |
|
New Zealand |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Total EEC |
15.8 |
17.1 |
17.7 |
17.9 |
17.6 |
17.6 |
17.5 |
17.6 |
18.8 |
|
Total OECD-Europe |
15.8 |
16.9 |
17.5 |
17.7 |
17.4 |
17.5 |
17.4 |
17.5 |
18.4 |
|
Total OECD less USA |
13.8 |
14.7 |
15.4 |
15.6 |
15.3 |
15.3 |
15.3 |
15.3 |
15.4 |
|
Total OECD |
12.7 |
13.2 |
14.0 |
14.1 |
13.5 |
13.5 |
13.6 |
13.4 |
13.2 |
