Year of introduction of old-age program

Quick info
Data type	Date
Scale	Date
Value labels	<ref>Not applicable</ref>
Technical name	old_pension_firstlaw
Category	Old age and survivors
Label	Old-age pension introduction of first federal law
Related indicators

This indicator refers to the year in which the first public old-age pension program/system has been passed by law. This date can differ from the date the old-age pension program came into force. Later amendments – such as the extension of coverage to further beneficiaries or the creation of additional pillars that rely on different financing sources – are regarded as reforms of such programs. Old-age protection comprises all kinds of contributory and non-contributory financed programs that target income transfers to people at retirement age. Old-age pensions laws mostly comprise survivor's pensions to spouses and dependent children of a deceased injured, too.

Coding rules

The first public old-age pension program/system of a country must meet two conditions. "First, access to old-age protection must either be defined as a right of citizenship or as a mandatory insurance duty" (Grünewald 2020: 5). Thus, voluntary old-age pension programs are not considered as first programs. Second, a first old-age pension program must at least cover one of the following ten occupational/social groups/sectors of the private sector or cover all citizens (Grünewald 2020: 5). These groups/sectors are defined as: 1) agriculture; 2) extractive and manufacturing industry; 3) commerce and finance; 4) students and apprentices; 5) domestic and family workers; 6) home workers; 7) employers; 8) self-employed; 9) temporary and seasonal workers; or 10) foreign workers (Grünewald 2020: 6).

Bibliographic info

Citation: Aline, Grünewald. 2020. "The historical origins of old-age pension schemes: Mapping global patterns."Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy: 1-19. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-international-and-comparative-social-policy/article/abs/historical-origins-of-oldage-pension-schemes/2B14501D496F04C354DE0A32F1C94BE2

Related publications:

Misc

Project manager(s): Aline Grünewald

Data release:

Revisions:

Sources

Quick info
Data type	Numeric
Scale	Date
Value labels	Year of introduction
Technical name
Category	{{{category}}}
Label	{{{label}}}
Related indicators	Type of program, coverage, financing

This indicator refers to the year in which a public old-age or pension scheme has been introduced in a country for the first time. The date thereby refers to the year the law or policy comes into force (de jure), which may be different from the year in which the respective law was passed. Later amendments – such as the extension of coverage to further beneficiaries or the creation of additional pillars that rely on different financing sources – are regarded as reforms to such first old-age policy, even though they may be passed under different laws. Old-age programs cover all types of social insurance and assistance schemes that target income transfers to people of retirement age with the aim of granting a minimum financial autonomy in old age. They may also cover so-called survivors’ pensions to spouses and dependent children of a deceased insured beneficiary.

Coding rules

The COW country coding rules are used.

Bibliographic info

Citation:

Related publications:

Misc

Project manager(s): Herbert Obinger, Carina Schmitt, Laura Seelkopf

Data release:

Revisions:

Sources

U.S. Social Security Administration (USSSA) “Social Security Programs throughout the World” (Washington, DC: USSSA, 2016–18).