EU social benefit spending rose 4.9% in 2025 as its share of GDP slipped

The European Union spent an estimated €5.183 trillion on social protection benefits in 2025, up 4.9% from 2024, Eurostat said on November 6. Spending amounted to 27.5% of EU gross domestic product, down 0.2 percentage points from the year before.

Old-age benefits made up the largest share at 41.5%, followed by sickness and health care benefits at 30%. The figures are early estimates based on data that countries provided voluntarily. [evidence-1]