Yahoo Finance The top 30 OECD countries that spend the most on social programs
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Top 25 countries where it’s easiest to do business
No. 20: Iceland
(Photo by Alexander Scheuber/Getty Images). - 2/30
OECD countries that spend the most on social programs
No. 28 (tie): Israel
Percentage of GDP invested in social spending: 16.1
(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) - 3/30
Top 25 countries where it’s easiest to do business
No. 18: Ireland
(Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) - 4/30
Top 25 countries where it’s easiest to do business
No. 22: Canada
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) - 5/30
Top 25 countries where it’s easiest to do business
No. 12: Estonia
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) - 6/30
OECD countries that spend the most on social programs
No. 25: Slovakia
Percentage of GDP invested in social spending: 18.6
(Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) - 7/30
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No. 15: Australia
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) - 8/30
Top 25 countries where it’s easiest to do business
No. 8: United States
(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) - 9/30
Los mejores pasaportes para viajeros globales
Nº. 19 (empate): República Checa
(Foto de Sean Gallup / Getty Images) - 10/30
OECD countries that spend the most on social programs
No. 1: New Zealand
(Photo by Chris Cameron/Volvo Ocean Race via Getty Images) - 11/30
OECD countries that spend the most on social programs
No. 20: Switzerland
Percentage of GDP invested in social spending: 19.7
(Photo by Alexander Koerner/Getty Images) - 12/30
Top 25 countries where it’s easiest to do business
No. 24: Poland
(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) - 13/30
OECD countries that spend the most on social programs
No. 18: Hungary
Percentage of GDP invested in social spending: 20.6
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) - 14/30
Top 25 countries where it’s easiest to do business
No. 7: United Kingdom
(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) - 15/30
OECD countries that spend the most on social programs
No. 16: Luxembourg
Percentage of GDP invested in social spending: 21.8
(Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images for BEGOC) - 16/30
OECD countries that spend the most on social programs
No. 15: Netherlands
Percentage of GDP invested in social spending: 22
(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) - 17/30
OECD countries that spend the most on social programs
No. 14: Slovenia
Percentage of GDP invested in social spending: 22.8
(Photo by John Gichigi/Getty Images) - 18/30
OECD countries that spend the most on social programs
No. 13: Japan
Percentage of GDP invested in social spending: 23.1
(Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) - 19/30
Top 25 countries where it’s easiest to do business
No. 25: Portugal
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) - 20/30
OECD countries that spend the most on social programs
No. 11: Spain
Percentage of GDP invested in social spending: 24.6
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) - 21/30
Top 25 countries where it’s easiest to do business
No. 6: Norway
(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images for BEGOC) - 22/30
Top 25 countries where it’s easiest to do business
No. 17: Germany
(Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images) - 23/30
OECD countries that spend the most on social programs
No. 8: Greece
Percentage of GDP invested in social spending: 27
(Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) - 24/30
Top 25 countries where it’s easiest to do business
No. 9: Sweden
(Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images) - 25/30
Top 25 countries where it’s easiest to do business
No. 19: Austria
(Photo by Jan Hetfleisch/Getty Images) - 26/30
Top 25 countries where it’s easiest to do business
No. 3: Denmark
(Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images for Ironman) - 27/30
OECD countries that spend the most on social programs
No. 4: Italy
Percentage of GDP invested in social spending: 28.9
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) - 28/30
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No. 13: Belgium
2016 rank: 16
(Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) - 29/30
Top 25 countries where it’s easiest to do business
No. 13: Finland
(Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) - 30/30
OECD countries that spend the most on social programs
No. 1: France
Percentage of GDP invested in social spending: 31.5
(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
New figures from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development show that since the Great Recession its members have poured money into social programs.
On average, OECD members spend just over 21 per cent of their GDP on programs related to pensions, health care and other benefits.
However, some governments have dedicated more funds to these areas, with countries such as France and Finland leading the way.
Click through the gallery to see where other countries placed on the OECD's list of its members' public social expenditures in 2016.
