India’s social security coverage has grown significantly over the past decade, rising to 64.3 percent in 2025 from 19 percent in 2015, according to data from the International Labour Organization. With this increase, India now provides social protection to about 940 million citizens, placing it second in the world in terms of the number of beneficiaries.
The International Labour Organization has published these figures on its official dashboard. The data shows a 45 percentage point increase in India’s social protection coverage over ten years, marking the fastest expansion worldwide. This growth has been linked to various welfare initiatives aimed at reaching people at the grassroots level.
India is also the first country to update its 2025 social protection data in the ILOSTAT database. The criteria for a scheme to be included in this database include legal backing, cash-based support, active implementation, and verified data for the past three years.
Efforts of Modi Government recognised by ILO!
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) June 11, 2025
Social Protection Coverage Surges from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025. In terms of beneficiary count, India now ranks second in the world providing social protection coverage to more than 94 crore citizens.https://t.co/57JptmH1fX pic.twitter.com/LUdiB0fxro
The Director-General of the ILO, Gilbert F Houngbo, has acknowledged India’s efforts and highlighted the country’s focused policies for the welfare of the poor and working-class population.
Labour Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, who 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, said, “This remarkable achievement stands as a testament to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri 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 lawmaker added.
According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the current figures represent only the first phase of the data pooling process. This phase mainly covered data from central sector schemes and women-focused schemes across eight selected states.
The ministry stated that Phase II is currently in progress and that India’s social security coverage is likely to exceed 1 billion people once additional schemes are verified and added to the data.
