India has made significant strides in expanding its social security coverage, which has doubled from 24.4% in 2021 to 48.8% in 2024, according to the latest World Social Protection Report (WSPR) by the International Labour Organization (ILO). This increase is due to key government initiatives that have expanded access to health insurance, pensions, and employment support.
According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, nearly 920 million people, or 65% of the population, are now covered by at least one form of social protection, whether in cash or in kind, through central government schemes. This expansion has also contributed to a five-percentage-point increase in global social protection coverage, highlighting India’s crucial role in shaping global welfare outcomes.
The ILO’s World Social Protection Report evaluates the effectiveness and progress of social security systems worldwide. The 2024–26 edition focuses on universal social protection for climate action and a just transition, providing insights into global trends. A regional report for Asia and the Pacific supplements the global findings, analyzing specific challenges and priorities within the region’s unique socio-economic and environmental landscape.
India’s progress in social security is driven by several key welfare programs. Ayushman Bharat has provided free health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family, with 39.94 crore Ayushman Cards issued as of March 2025 and medical services available in 24,810 empaneled hospitals. The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana has ensured food security for 80.67 crore beneficiaries, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The eShram portal, launched in 2021 to register unorganized workers, has recorded 30.68 crore registrations, with women making up 53.68% of the total.
Long-term financial security has been strengthened through schemes like the Atal Pension Yojana, which has enrolled 7.25 crore people and accumulated a total corpus of ₹43,369.98 crore by December 2024. Other initiatives, such as the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, continue to provide financial protection to millions.
Over the past decade, India’s social security measures have helped lift 24.8 crore people out of multidimensional poverty. However, the ILO’s estimate of 48.8% coverage does not account for in-kind benefits such as food security, housing support, or state-level welfare schemes. To address this, the labour ministry launched the Social Protection Data Pooling Exercise in March 2025. In its first phase, ten states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, have been selected to consolidate welfare data at the central level.
India has processed over 200 crore records using encrypted Aadhaar as a unique identifier across 34 major central schemes, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation, Atal Pension Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman.
The government is also in discussions with the ILO to ensure that additional welfare measures, such as housing and food security, are considered in future assessments. During a recent bilateral meeting at the 353rd ILO Governing Body session in Geneva, the organization acknowledged these efforts and agreed to incorporate such schemes into its evaluations.
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