Paraguay: Coverage of social protection and labor programs (% of population)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, Paraguay's coverage of social protection and labor programs (% of population) fell 4.55 percentage points on 2021 (from 58.99% to 54.44%).

Across the 14 yearly changes before that (2008 to 2021), the average change was +1.56 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 7.98 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 12.93 percentage points in 2012 and the biggest yearly fall was 20.67 percentage points in 2021. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2013 to 2022 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2022, Paraguay had the 8th highest value of the 11 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Paraguay in the 2022 ranking

• Costa Rica — 5th of 11: 70.9%
• Indonesia — 6th of 11: 65.09%
• Argentina — 7th of 11: 56.63%
• Brazil — 9th of 11: 52.26%
• Ecuador — 10th of 11: 41.09%
• Colombia — 11th of 11: 40.98%

What this measures

Coverage of social protection and labor programs (SPL) shows the percentage of population participating in social insurance, social safety net, and unemployment benefits and active labor market programs. Estimates include both direct and indirect beneficiaries.

Limitations: When interpreting ASPIRE performance indicators based on household surveys, it is important to note that the extent to which information on specific transfers and programs is captured in the household surveys can vary a lot across countries. Moreover, household surveys do not capture the universe of social protection programs in the country, in best practice cases just the largest programs. As a consequence, ASPIRE indicators are not fully comparable across program categories and countries; however, they provide approximate measures of social protection systems performance.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 16 values

Coverage of social protection and labor programs (% of population) in nearby economies

• Argentina — 56.63% (2022)
• Bolivia — 96.94% (2021)
• Brazil — 52.26% (2022)
• Colombia — 40.98% (2022)
• Costa Rica — 70.9% (2022)
• Dominican Republic — 51.07% (2021)
• Ecuador — 41.09% (2022)
• El Salvador — 88.75% (2022)
• Honduras

More social protection & labor data for Paraguay

• Net migration — -12,423 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 4,621 (2025)
• Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) — 5.49% (2025)
• Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) — 3.81% (2025)
• Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) — 4.53% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 61.21% (2025)
• Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate) — 74% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (national estimate)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Paraguay's coverage of social protection and labor programs (% of population)?

54.44% in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2007?

It is up 17.26 percentage points from 37.18% in 2007. The highest value was 79.66% in 2020 and the lowest 37.18% in 2007.

How does Paraguay rank?

8th highest of 11 economies with data for 2022.

Is the latest change in coverage of social protection and labor programs (% of population) unusual for Paraguay?

In 2022, Paraguay's coverage of social protection and labor programs (% of population) fell 4.55 percentage points on 2021 (from 58.99% to 54.44%). Across the 14 yearly changes before that (2008 to 2021), the average change was +1.56 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 7.98 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator per_allsp.cov_pop_tot, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: ASPIRE: The Atlas of Social Protection - Indicators of Resilience and Equity, World Bank (WB), uri: datatopics.worldbank.org/aspire/, note: Data are based on national representative household surveys. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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