4. Perspectives on the Evolution of European Social Policy
4. Perspectives on the Evolution of European Social Policy
4. Perspectives on the Evolution of European Social Policy
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perspectives <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> evoluti<strong>on</strong><strong>of</strong> european social policy 23<str<strong>on</strong>g>4.</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>4.</str<strong>on</strong>g>1 Trends in <strong>Social</strong> ExpenditureOverall, social expenditure statistics point to <strong>the</strong> maintenance <strong>of</strong> high levels <strong>of</strong>social spending. 23 Since 1980, average public social expenditure across <strong>the</strong> EU15has increased from 19.5% to 2<str<strong>on</strong>g>4.</str<strong>on</strong>g>4% <strong>of</strong> GDP in 2005. In most EU15 countries <strong>the</strong>percentage <strong>of</strong> expenditure to GDP in 2005 was well above 1980’s level. Ireland, <strong>on</strong>account <strong>of</strong> its excepti<strong>on</strong>al growth rates, and <strong>the</strong> Ne<strong>the</strong>rlands, due to factors such as<strong>the</strong> privatisati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> sick-pay and a tightening <strong>of</strong> generosity and inflow to disabilitybenefits, are two excepti<strong>on</strong>s (Taylor-Gooby, 2002, p. 599; Adema & Ladaique,2009, p. 22). 24Figure <str<strong>on</strong>g>4.</str<strong>on</strong>g>1 EU15 Public <strong>Social</strong> Expenditure as a percentage <strong>of</strong> GDP1980-2005 243530252015105019801985 1990 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Austria BelgiumDenmark Finland FranceGermanyGreece IrelandItaly LuxembourgNe<strong>the</strong>rlandsSweden UKPortugal EU15Spain23 Statistics do not account for <strong>the</strong> taxati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> welfare benefits in some high spending countries.24 http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?datasetcode=SOCX_AGG.