FRAMEWORK AND OVERVIEW OF SOCIAL INDICATORS IN ASIA The 3 rd Social Experts Meeting Seoul Palace Hotel, 19 November 2008 Theresa Cha Researcher of Health and Social Policy Programme OECD Korea Policy Centre ( Korea Centre

OUTLINE  Framework Comparison  Context - Social Indicators  General Context (GE) - 2  Self-sufficiency (SS) -2  Equity (EQ) -1  Health (HE) -2  Social Cohesion (CO) - 2  Conclusion

Context - Framework Comparison  GE National income per capita Age-dependency ratio Fertility rates Migration Marriage and divorce National income per capita Age-dependency ratio Fertility rates Migration Marriage and divorce SAG OECDSAG ASIA

Context - Framework Comparison  SS Employment Unemployment Mothers in paid employment Childcare costs Tax wedge on labour Out-of-work benefits EQ1. Employment EQ2. Unemployment N/A SAG OECDSAG ASIA Students’ performanceEQ3. Education

Context - Framework Comparison  EQ Material deprivation Intergenerational mobility Total social spending Poverty persistence Housing costs Earnings inequality Gender wage gaps Public social spending Old-age pensions replacement rates SAG OECDSAG ASIA N/A EQ1. Earnings inequality EQ2. Gender wage gaps EQ3. Public social spending EQ4. Old-age pensions replacement rates

Context - Framework Comparison  HE Life expectancy Health care spending Low birth weight Sick-related absences from work Long-term care recipients Health inequalities SAG OECDSAG ASIA Life expectancy Health care spending Low birth weight N/A Infant mortality rate Health risk factors and public health changes

Context - Framework Comparison  CO Suicides Trust in political institutions Life satisfaction Drug use and related risks Strikes Voting Work accidents Prisoners N/A Public policies and institutions SAG OECDSAG ASIA Life satisfaction Drug use and related risks Strikes Voting Work accidents Prisoners

“ What are the most appropriate social indicators for the region? ” WHY different?

Context  Countries (15)  Bangladesh  China  Hong Kong, China  India  Indonesia  Japan  Korea  Malaysia  Mongolia  Pakistan  Philippines  Chinese Taipei  Thailand  Singapore  Viet Nam Dear Theresa, We were going through the SAG and it has come out quite well but also noticed that Sri Lanka was not included in it? Can we know why? Best Ruwanthi

GDP per capita in 1990 USD, 2006 (GE Ex. 1/2) Average= 7,471 USD Average of economically advanced nations (JP, KOR, HK, CT, & SG)= 19,720 USD Average for the rest = 1,346 USD HUGE DIFFERENCE! (18,375 USD) HUGE DIFFERENCE! (18,375 USD)

Dropping fertility rates (GE ex. 2/2) GE3.1 TFRs below 2.0GE3.2 TFRs above 2.0

Employment rates according to age groups… Asian countries show less extreme variations between each other (SS1/2) SS1.1 Employment to population ratio, total, 2006 Men and women Bangladesh: 2003, India: 2001, 25-54(25-59) 55-64(50-69) 15-64(15-69), Malaysia: 1999, Mongolia: 2005, 55-64(55-60+), Chinese Taipei: 2005, Viet Nam: 2004 Age Bangladesh Hong Kong, China India Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia Mongolia Pakistan Philippines Singapore Chinese Taipei Thailand Viet Nam Average OECD

Generally, unemployment rate higher among women (SS 2/2) Unemployment rates, 2005 Men and women

Similar patterns overall (page 83), EQ(1/1) EQ1.1 Percentages Share of Income or Consumption (2005) EQ1.2 percentage share of income or consumption (1998)

Large share of population living below National Poverty Line (EQ 1/1) EQ1.3 Population Below National Poverty Line

Increased life expectancy at birth in ALL countries. (HE ex 1/1) Life expectancy at birth, Female, 2005 and 1960 Life expectancy at birth, Male, 2005 and 1960 * OECD data: 2006 and 1960

Considerable differences in life satisfaction within OECD countries. (CO1/2) Source: Data from the wave of the World Value Surveys for all countries. OECD Asia Asia average is calculated only for 11 countries. This average may change if we include all other SE Asian countries.

Showing higher life satisfaction in women, upper education, and high income groups. GenderEducation Income MaleFemaleLowerMiddleUpper LowMediumHigh Bangladesh China Chinese Taipei India Indonesia Japan Korea Pakistan Philippines Singapore Viet Nam Source: Data from the wave of the World Value Surveys for all countries.

Steady increase in most OECD countries, but decline in prison population in quite a few Asian countries. (SS2/2) CO8.2 Prison population rates, 2001~2007CO8.3 Prison population rates, 2001~2007 Source: International Centre for Prison studies.

Conclusion  Large gap in social trends between the economically developed East Asian countries (e.g., Japan & Korea) and the less developed South Asian countries (e.g., Bangladesh & Indonesia).  Generally speaking, economically developed countries have higher social expenditure, tend to spend more on health and education.  While, less developed countries have less than 2% of social spending.

Conclusion  Generally, the Asian countries experience rise in poor working families and extreme poor.  Therefore, social policies targeting equal opportunities, resource distribution & welfare, and increased health spending are needed.  And efforts to reduce the # of people under national poverty line.

Future work….  The need/possibility to add more Asian countries?  Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Azerbaijan, and other Pacific countries?  Do you have such social data? Can you send us the sources (national/international)?  The need for different policies for countries with different level of development  For instance, policies targeting labour market insecurity, difficulties in finding suitable housing, & unaffordable/unavailable childcare

Thank you all and a special thanks to Maxime!