Lithuania's spending on social security among lowest in EU

Lithuania's spending on social security is the 7th lowest among 27 member-states of the European Union (EU) in terms of its share of the gross domestic product (GDP), Eurostat said.

Daugiau nei pusę valstybės išlaidų pyrago kitąmet sudarys išlaidos socialinei ir sveikatos apsaugai.

Lithuania spends the equivalent of 19.1 percent of GDP on social security. / Irmanto Gelūno / BNS nuotr.

In Lithuania, the indicator stood at 19.1 percent of the GDP, just 1.5 percentage points above Romania, which had the smallest social security budget (17.6 percent), shows 2010 data published by the EU statistical agency earlier this week.

Lithuania was also slightly ahead of other Eastern European nations, including Latvia (17.8 pct), Bulgaria and Estonia (18.1 pct), Slovakia (18.6 pct), and Poland (18.9 pct).

Biggest spending on social security in 2010 were reported in more developed EU nations, namely France (33.8 pct), Denmark (33.3 pct), the Netherlands (32.1 pct), and Germany (30.7 pct).

According to Eurostat, the differences reflect different living standards, as well as the diversity of national social security systems.

Lithuania's spending on social security among lowest in EU

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