Executive Summary
The widespread social and economic strain imposed by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic
continues to affect countries around the world. Countries in Asia and the Pacific have been particularly
hit hard and the effects of the pandemic stand to undo progress made in alleviating poverty and
improving well-being in the region. Social protection systems play a critical role in mitigating risks and
supporting vulnerable groups through these unprecedented times. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered
a social protection response globally of previously unseen magnitude, but countries still struggle to
provide adequate support to their citizens as the pandemic continues to unfold. COVID-19 has further
exposed gaps and challenges in the social protection landscape across countries, providing an important
opportunity for policy makers to re-evaluate investments and strategies.


The affordability of social protection is also closely linked to the expected economic growth in countries
over the coming years. As highlighted in the results discussed in this report, the cost of delivering
adequate social protection coverage is estimated to be particularly high in several countries, including
low-income countries where resource availability is often limited with a heavy dependency on donor
financing. Global mechanisms to sustainably support such requirements, like the recent call for
the establishment of a Global Social Protection Fund as put forth by the Global Coalition for Social
Protection Floors, also warrant critical consideration in the future. For such considerations and to foster
further planning, SPRS20 provides a user-friendly platform to help model potential policy packages and
estimate associated costs to adequately expand social protection coverage in Asia and the Pacific.