Social protection systems in Latin America and the Caribbean: a comparative view

This report pursues three complementary aims. Firstly, it presents the first generation of country case studies on social protection systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, published in the ECLAC Project Documents collection; and it provides justifications for developing such systems. Secondly, it sets out a classificatory approach to social protection system in the region, which aims to provide a comparative basis for interpreting national cases. Lastly, using standardized data and case studies, it identifies major trends in the changes the region is undergoing in terms of social protection.Executive summary .-- I. Introduction .-- II. Case studies on social protection systems .-- III. The variants of social protection systems in Latin America: degrees of development and types of welfare state .-- IV. Recent innovations in social protection systems .-- V. In conclusion: the case studies as an innovative contribution to research, action and institution building