In 2008 gross expenditure on social protection in EU 27 accounted for 26.4 % of GDP - Issue number 17/2011 - Products Statistics in Focus

This "Statistics in Focus" describes and analyses the expenditure and the receipts of Social Protection in different European countries. In 2008, social protection expenditure accounted for 26.4% of GDP in EU 27. This average masks high disparities between countries. Expenditure on old-age and survivors' benefits account for a large part of social benefits in most countries. Different countries have markedly different systems for financing social protection.