Costing of Basic Social Protection Benefits for Selected Asian Countries: First Results of a Modelling Exercise

National social protection systems are a very powerful means of alleviating and preventing poverty and can help mitigate the adverse effects of chronic poverty. They provide protection against old-age and various life risks - disability, ill-health, unemployment, and occupational injury - through contributory social insurance mechanisms and social welfare programmes, including social cash transfer schemes for those who are particularly exposed to poverty risks. This report presents the calculation of the cost of basic social protection benefit packages, and their affordability in five Asian countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Vietnam for the period 2006 to 2034. This study offers a first estimate on the feasibility of basic social protection in low-income countries in Asia with a view to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.