India has posted the world’s fastest growth in social protection coverage over the last decade, expanding its reach from just 19% of the population in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025, according to data released by the International Labour Organization (ILO).Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, speaking in Geneva at the 113th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC), attributed the expansion to the government’s focused push toward “Antyodaya” — the commitment to reach the last mile and ensure no one is left behind.India now ranks second globally in the number of social protection beneficiaries, with over 94 crore people covered by at least one legislatively-backed, cash-based, active scheme, according to the ILO’s dashboard.“This increase marks the fastest expansion in social protection coverage worldwide,” Mandaviya said, citing the ILO’s recognition of India’s achievement.The ILO has officially recorded India’s 2025 social protection data in the ILOSTAT database, making India the first country in the world to update its figures for the current year.According to the Ministry of Labour & Employment, the ILO’s criteria for including schemes in global coverage counts require them to be legislatively mandated, offer cash benefits, remain active, and have verified data spanning the last three years.ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo lauded India’s “focused welfare policies for the poor and labour class” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the ministry’s statement noted.The current 64.3% figure represents only the first phase of India’s data pooling efforts, focusing on central sector and women-centric schemes across eight selected states. “With phase II and further consolidation underway, it is expected that India’s total social protection coverage will soon surpass the 100-crore mark,” the ministry added.
