Fiscal Analysis
What Labour Market Exclusion Costs the State
What it costs the state in disability and sickness benefits when people are kept out of work, compared across European countries.
Country Comparison
Public cash benefits for disability and sickness, taken from each country's own agency reports. GDP, working-age population and exchange rates are from Eurostat.
| Country | Benefit Expenditure (% of GDP) ↓ | Spent on disability and sickness benefits (bn EUR) | Per adult (€) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇳🇴Norway | 4.5% | €20.7bn | €5,734 |
| 🇩🇰Denmark | 3.4% | €13.6bn | €3,598 |
| 🇩🇪Germany | 2.0% | €83.4bn | €1,573 |
| 🇳🇱Netherlands | 1.8% | €20.6bn | €1,785 |
| 🇸🇪Sweden | 1.5% | €8.4bn | €1,281 |
🇳🇴Country Profile
Norway
€20.7bnSpent on disability and sickness benefits
Benefit Expenditure: 4.5% of GDP
🇩🇰Country Profile
Denmark
€13.6bnSpent on disability and sickness benefits
Benefit Expenditure: 3.4% of GDP
🇩🇪Country Profile
Germany
€83.4bnSpent on disability and sickness benefits
Benefit Expenditure: 2.0% of GDP
🇳🇱Country Profile
Netherlands
€20.6bnSpent on disability and sickness benefits
Benefit Expenditure: 1.8% of GDP
🇸🇪Country Profile
Sweden
€8.4bnSpent on disability and sickness benefits
Benefit Expenditure: 1.5% of GDP
Methodology
Every figure in InkludX's Economics research is traceable to a public source. This page explains our definitions, formulas, and editorial standards.
Read full report →Labour Exclusion
True labour market exclusion across Europe — beyond the headline unemployment rate
Labour Exclusion →