The social protection expenditure per person in Luxembourg in 2019 was €22,200 (rounded off to nearest 100), making it the highest in the European Union (EU), even compared to the early estimates for 2020 from 20 member states published recently by Eurostat.
Among the Member States for which 2020 estimates are available, social protection benefits expenditure as a percentage of GDP was highest in France (36% of GDP), Austria (34%) and Italy (33%), while it was lowest in Ireland (15%), as well as Latvia, Hungary and Lithuania (all 18%). The social protection benefits expenditure as a percentage of GDP for Luxembourg was 21.6% in 2019.
Old age and sickness / health care benefits made up the major part of social protection benefits. The other benefit categories include disability, survivors, family / children, unemployment, housing and social exclusion.
