How is social protection implemented in the Pacific?

Finally, let’s look at how social protection is put into practice across the Pacific. Some people think that formal social protection systems are quite new in the region—but in fact, many countries have been investing in and building these systems for decades.

In this section, we’ll explore:

  • how social protection systems have evolved
  • how countries in the Pacific have used social protection to respond to shocks and disasters
  • the “Pacific model” of social protection - where social protection has been gradually strengthened over time to meet the needs of different populations.

Social protection in the Pacific

Around the Pacific, countries are increasingly investing in social protection. Although it is different in each country, most countries are already spending money on social protection. Simple life cycle schemes, such as social pensions supporting the elderly are common. Poverty-targeted schemes are less common.

Watch the video below to learn more about how social protection is financed in the Pacific.

Video showing a column graph of non-contributory social protection expenditure as a percentage of GNI across Pacific countries. Y-axis: % of GNI. X-axis: countries — Kiribati, Timor-Leste, Nauru, Fiji, Samoa, Tuvalu, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Each column is stacked with the different benefit type for that country. The benefit types are old age and survivors, sickness and disability, unemployment, family and children, and social exclusion. Kiribati has the highest expenditure (4%), followed by Timor-Leste (1.6%), Nauru (1.3%), Fiji (1.1%), Samoa (0.9%), Tuvalu (0.4%), Tonga (0.3%), and 0% for PNG, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. The video highlights that some countries spend significantly, while others spend none. Old age and sickness/disability benefits are the most common.
 
Find out more about social protection in the Pacific, with this database of social protection expenditure across a selection of in the Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste.
 

Timeline of Social protection in the Pacific

Countries have usually started by setting up contributory schemes such as provident funds, but in the last 20 years many countries have introduced budget-financed social protection programs.

Watch the video below to see the transition in the Pacific from contributory schemes to non-contributory schemes.

Video showing a timeline of social protection in the Pacific. Countries are listed vertically: Cook Islands, FSM, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, PNG, RMI, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The timeline runs horizontally from the 1960s to the 2020s. Coloured dots represent different types of social protection benefits, with a legend below identifying each benefit type: Veterans Pensions, Child and Family Benefits, Old Age Pensions, General Social Assistance, Disability Allowance, Unemployment Benefits, and Provident Funds & Social Insurance. Each dot shows when a benefit was introduced in each country. The video explains that most Pacific countries began with provident funds in the 1960s, and from the 2000s onwards many have introduced non-contributory government-funded schemes.
 

Social protection as a response to disasters

Many Pacific countries have use social protection to respond to disasters. For example:

  • The provident funds and various social assistance schemes (social pensions and disability benefits) have been used to cushion the impact of tropical cyclones (including in Fiji and Tonga).
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries used social protection to cushion the impacts of the pandemic.
  • The pandemic showed the importance of strong ongoing social protection systems: countries with existing social protection systems could use them to respond quickly.

The Pacific model of social protection

The Pacific model of social protection shows how systems can be gradually strengthened over time.

Click the boxes below to explore how Pacific countries are strengthening their social protection systems.

Introducing new schemes.

Increasing how many people are eligible, for example lowering the age when people can receive old age benefits.

Increasing benefit levels, which is important to keep up with the cost of living and helps people better take care of themselves.

Setting different benefit levels within a scheme – for example, in some countries the severity of a person’s disability impacts how much they receive.
 

The Cook Islands social protection system

The Cook Islands social protection system is a good example of how these strategies can be used. Over time, new schemes have been added and existing schemes have been expanded to include more people.

Benefit levels have also increased. The real value of the old age benefit for people 70 years and over grew 120% between 2000 and 2021. There is also a lower benefit level for people 60-69 years, compared to those 70 years and over.