Social Protection Spending in Context of Structural and Institutional Performance: A Global Empirical Analysis.

EAST Asia; SOUTH Asia

An understanding about the dynamics of social protection spending is made in the context of structural and institutional performances. A dataset of 134 countries for the period 1999–2018 is used for analysis. Rank Analysis is made conditional on (1) fiscal budgeting; (2) structural landscapes, and (3) the institutional performance measures to generate and utilize budget efficiently. In Rank Analysis, no one country is securing the same locus in all conditions. North America and Europe & Central Asian countries are much focused on social protection spending as compared to the East Asia & Pacific, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan African countries where these countries have the least preference for social protection. In order to determine the budget for social protection purposes, the structural landscapes (GDP-per-capita, GDP-shock, Urbanization, and working-age-population), while the institutional performance via improving voice & accountability, regulation quality, and control of corruption is effective to utilize the funds for social protection purposes in an optimal way. The international organizations need to introduce the social protection programs especially in East Asia & Pacific, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan African countries that will effectively protect and prevent people from poverty and contribute to the economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]