By the end of 2023, social protection outlay totalled €2,716.6 million, a 4.1 per cent increase from the previous year, the NSO said Friday.

Social expenditure in 2023 climbed by €106.4 million from the €2,610.3 million reported in 2022. This spending was equivalent to 13.2 per cent of the national GDP, a 1.1 percentage point drop from the preceding year, following higher GDP growth (12.4 per cent) being reported between the two reference years.

Higher social outlay was reported in 13 of Malta's 17 active schemes. The largest increase was recorded under Social Security Contributory Benefits (€72.8 million), followed by Hospitals and Other Health Care Facilities (€57.1 million) and Care of the Elderly and the Disabled (€26.9 million).

On the other hand, no expenditure was reported under both the COVID-19 Support Measures and Bus Fare Subsidy, following the phasing out of these schemes in May and October 2022, respectively. Reduced spending was also recorded under Service Pensions (€0.8 million), Sedqa (€0.4 million), Jobsplus (€0.3 million) and Appoġġ (€0.2 million).

When categorised according to the European System of integrated Social Protection Statistics' (ESSPROS) eight functions (refer to methodological note 3), total social outlay ranged from €1.2 billion in Old Age benefits to €23.6 million in Unemployment measures.

In comparison to 2022, increases were reported under seven functions, with the largest rise of €84.3 million registered under Old Age. Higher spending also went towards Sickness/Health Care (€66.5 million), Family/Children (€20.2 million), Survivors (€15.2 million), Social exclusion not elsewhere classified (n.e.c.) (8.2 million), Disability (€7.0 million), and Housing (€4.9 million). In the opposite direction, a drop of €99.9 million was recorded under Unemployment programmes.

Photo: NSO