India is on track to become the world's largest social security provider by 2026, overtaking China, according to government sources.
As of now, over 94 crore Indians — 64.3% of the population — are covered under at least one social protection scheme, up from just 19% in 2015.
The current figures reflect only Phase I of a nationwide data-pooling exercise, which includes welfare data from eight states — Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and Assam — along with central government schemes.
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With populous states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal yet to be fully integrated into the tally, officials say India's beneficiary count is likely to exceed 100 crore once Phase II is completed. That would position India ahead of China in absolute coverage.
India ranks second globally in terms of beneficiary count, just behind China, which covers 107 crore people (75%). India's current coverage includes beneficiaries under Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), Ayushman Bharat, pension schemes, maternity benefits, and targeted welfare schemes like Ladli Behna Yojana.
India is also the first country globally to update its 2025 social protection coverage in the ILO database. This milestone is expected to aid in benefit portability, facilitate Social Security Agreements, and bolster India's role in labour mobility and trade negotiations.
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