Social expenditure and the social accounts of the European Economic Community

Abstract

Certain summary information relating to the Social Accounts of the EEC was published in "Report of the Development of the Social Situation in the Communities in 1974". The Statistical Office of the EEC will publish the latest issue of the Social Accounts in which detailed data for Ireland and the other two "new" member countries appear for the first time. The Accounts include a considerable amount of data relative to different aspects of social expenditure and they appear to be somewhat complex. It seems to be useful, therefore, to set down in this paper some exposition or clarification of the system and to present the figures to be published for Ireland, to comment on the statistical aspects of the international comparisons and to point out where severe lack of comparability still exists. The relationship between the data in the Social Accounts and other figures for social expenditure and the presentation of these figures in the National Accounts, which cover the whole economy, are also considered. In the final section, the future development of the Social Accounts is discussed.