KATHMANDU: The number of Nepalis enrolling in Social Security has shown a notable uptick, as indicated by the Economic Survey for the fiscal year 2080/081 (2024/025) presented by Finance Minister Barshman Pun. Over the past year, there has been a 5.5 percent increase in the number of citizens receiving social security benefits, reaching a total of 3.8 million individuals by February 2024. This marks a rise from the previous year's figure of 3.7 million enrollees.
The demographic breakdown of those availing of social security benefits reveals a diverse range of recipients. Among them are 158,261 Dalits aged above 60 years, 198,270 single female senior citizens above 60 years, 576,553 single women, 66,452 individuals with complete disabilities, 142,185 with severe disabilities, and 761,093 children from designated areas. This highlights the broad spectrum of Nepali citizens benefiting from the Social Security system.
The commitment of the government to social welfare is evident in its budget allocations. In the current fiscal year, the federal government earmarked Rs 2.98 billion for Social Security, amounting to 14.78 percent of the total budget, 22.67 percent of the current budget, and 5.54 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). This reflects a significant increase compared to a decade ago when only 8.17 percent of the total budget was allocated to social security in the financial year 2070/071 BS.
