More Than 4 Billion People Have No Social Protection as COVID-19 Wreaks Havoc

GENEVA - The International Labor Organization reports more than 4 billion people globally have no social protection at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc upon their lives and livelihoods.

The ILO's World Social Protection Report 2020-2022 reveals the extent to which COVID-19 has devastated the world of work. It exposes the inequality between the rich countries that are beginning to rebound from the economic distress of the pandemic and the developing countries that remain deeply mired in poverty.  Additionally, the report finds less than half the world's population, or 47 percent, is covered by at least one social protection benefit, while 4.1 billion people, or 53 percent, have no income security at all. The report highlights some of the significant regional inequalities in social protection. For example, ILO Director General Guy Ryder notes that in Europe and Central Asia, 84 percent of the population has at least one social protection benefit. In Africa, just 17.4 percent of the population has coverage.