Skip to content
Social Security Online		 History
www.socialsecurity.gov Home   FAQs   Contact Us   Search
 
History Home This is an archival or historical document and may not reflect current policies or procedures

Social Security History

 

Table 2. Social Security Programs Abroad by Country, Pre-1935

Country

Social Security Programs

Other Income Security Programs

Contributory Social Insurance

"Non-Contributory" Means-Tested Assistance

Contributory Social Insurance

"Non-Contributory," Means-Tested Assistance

Old Age Survivors Disability Health/
Medical		 Old Age Survivors Disability Health/
Medical		 Unemployment Workers' Compensation Family Allowances Unemployment Workers' Compensation Family Allowances
ARGENTINA 1921-1929 [L] 1921-1929 [L] 1921-1929 [L]             1915 [V]        
AUSTRALIA         1908-1928   1908-1928     1900-1915        
Commonwealth                   1912        
New South Wales           1925       1900-1929 1927      
Queensland                 1922 1905-1929 1925-1928      
South Australia                   1900-1928        
Tasmania                   1911- 1929        
Victoria                   1915-1929        
Western Australia                   1925-1927        
AUSTRIA 1925-1928 [N/E-as of 1933] 1927 [N/E as of 1933] 1925-1928
[N/E as of 1933]		 1888-1929         1920-1931 1888-1928 [L-L]      
BELGIUM 1924-1930 1924-1930 1924-1930 1903-1920 [V]         1908-1930 [V] 1903-1930 1930 [V]      
BOLIVIA                   1924        
BRAZIL 1923-1931 [L] 1923-1931 [L] 1923-1931 [L]             1919        
BULGARIA 1924 1924 1924 1918-1924         1925-1931 1918-1924 [L-L]      
CANADA         1927-1932   1927-1932   1935          
Alberta                   1908-1928        
British Columbia         (All except Prince Edward Island)   (All except Prince Edward Island)     1902-1925        
Manitoba                   1910-1930        
New Brunswick                   1918-1927        
Nova Scotia                   1910-1929        
Ontario                   1914-1927        
Prince Edward Island         ---------   --------     -----------        
Quebec                   1909-1930        
Saskatchewan                   1927-1929        
Yukon                   1917        
CHILE 1924   1924 1924-1926           1916-1927        
CHINA                   1929-1931        
COLUMBIA                   1915        
COSTA RICA                   1925        
CUBA 1927 [L] 1927 [L] 1927 [L]             1916        
CZECHO-SLOVAKIA-- 1924-1928 1924-1928 1924-1928 1920-1929         1921-1930 [V]          
Former Austrian territory                   1887        
Former Hungarian territory                   1891        
DENMARK       1892-1927 [V] 1891-1927 1913 1921-1927   1907-1927
[V; M-T]		 1898-1927 [L-L]      
ECUADOR 1928 [L] 1928 [L]               1921-1928        
ESTONIA       1912           1903-1923 [L-L]      
FINLAND                 1917-1920 [V] 1895-1926        
FRANCE 1910-1930 1910-1930 1910-1930 1928-1931         1905 [V] 1898-1926 1930 [V]      
GERMANY 1889-1931 1911-1931 1889-1931 1883-1930         1927-1931 1883/1884-1931        
GREAT BRITAIN 1925-1929 1925-1931 1911-1926 1911-1924         1911-1931 1898-1923        
GREECE 1922 1922 1922 1922 [N/E as of 1931]           1901-1923 [L-L]      
GREENLAND         1926                  
GUATEMALA                   1906        
HUNGARY 1928 1928 1928 1891-1927           1891-1928 [L-L]      
ICELAND 1909 [M-T]     1911 [V]           1921-1928        
INDIA                   1923-1929        
IRISH FREE STATE     1911-1929 1911-1929 1908-1928       1911-1931 1898-1906        
ITALY 1919-1928   1919-1928           1919-1923 1903-1926 [L-L]      
JAPAN       1922-1929           1911-1929        
LATVIA       1912-1928           1903-1927 [L-L]      
LITHUANIA       1925-1926           1903 [L-L]      
LUXEMBOURG 1911-1925 1911-1925 1911-1925 1901-1925           1902-1928        
MEXICO                   1931        
NETHERLANDS 1913-1925 1913-1925 1913-1925 1913-1929
[N/E as of 1931]		         1916 [V] 1901-1929 [L-L]      
NEWFOUNDLAND         1911-1926         1916-1926        
NEW ZEALAND         1898-1926 1911-1926     1930 1908 -1926       1926
[N/C; E-T]
NICARAGUA                   1930        
NORWAY       1909-1928 1923 [N/E as of year-end 1931]       1906-1915 [V] 1894-1929        
PALESTINE                   1927        
PANAMA                   1916        
PARAGUAY                   1927        
PERU                   1911        
POLAND 1933 1933 1933 1920-1926         1924-1925          
Former Austria                   1887-1924        
Former Germany                   1883/4-1924        
Former Russia                   1903-1924        
PORTUGAL 1919   1919 1919           1913-1919        
ROMANIA 1912-1924   1912-1924 1912-1921           1912        
RUSSIA/FORMER SOVIET UNION 1922-1929 1922-1928 1922-1929 1912-1927         1922-1927
[suspended payments in 1930, and abolished later. ]		 1903-1929        
SALVADOR                   1911        
SOUTH AFRICA         1928-1931                  
Transvaal                   1907-1915        
Good Hope                   1905-1915        
SPAIN 1919-1926               1919-1931
[V; E-T]		 1900-1926 [L-L]      
SWEDEN 1913-1927   1913-1927 1891-1931 [V]         1934 [V] 1901-1929 [L-L]      
SWITZERLAND 1916-1931 [L] 1916 [L]   1911-1924 [V]

         1924 [V]-- in 12 cantons, compulsory insurance optional;


1925-

13 cantons

introduced compulsory UI.		 1911 [L-L]      
URUGUAY 1919-1925 [L] 1919-1925 [L] 1919-1925 [L]   1919   1919     1920        
VENEZUELA                   1928        
YUGOSLAVIA (SERBO-CROAT-SLOVENE KINGDOM) 1922 [N/E as of 1933] 1922 1922 1912-1922         1935 1910-1922 [L-L]      
TOTAL 20
+1 [E-T]

+ 6 [L]		 14
+6 [L]		 20 22
+ 5 [V]		 10 3 4 0 12
+8 [V]

+2 [V; E-T]		 54 14 [L-L]
+2 [V]

0

0

1

Explanatory Notes to Table 2:
Unless otherwise indicated, programs were legislated for nation-wide application and covering a majority of workers in industry and commerce or beyond.

Date given is date of passage of first act for contributory insurance or "non-contributory" assistance, as the case may be; where two dates are given, the second date refers to most recent legislation as of 1935 for old age and unemployment insurance, and as of January 1931 for all other programs. Dates of legislation for "Family Allowances" are not available for most countries in sources cited here; information provided here reflect status of the program as of January 1931.

List of Abbreviations:
E-T: Earnings-test required to qualify for benefits.
L: Coverage not available to major sectors of industry and commerce, limited to selected population groups, such as railroad, bank, public utilities employees, and the like.
L-L: Program applicable to limited locales.
M-T: Means-test required to qualify for benefits.
N/E: Legislation not yet in effect or in operation.
V: Voluntary insurance.

References to individual programs:
–Old Age and Disability: Armstrong 1932–pp. 376-432; Appendix B: Chart VIII, pp. 611-624; and Social Security Board 1937b–pp.181-188 (especially Tables 39-40), pp. 449-497.
–Survivors Insurance: Armstrong 1932–pp. 439-461; Appendix B: Chart X, pp. 611, 629-632.
–Health/Medical (Sickness) Insurance: Armstrong 1932–pp. 284-370; Appendix B: Charts V and VII, pp. 598-610.
–Unemployment: Armstrong 1932–pp. 462-531; Appendix B: Charts XII- XV, pp. 635-644; and Social Security Board 1937b–pp. 3-13, 17-54, and 441-448.
–Workers' Compensation: Armstrong 1932–pp. 223-251; and Appendix B: Charts I-IV, pp. 568-597.
–Family Allowances: Armstrong 1932, pp. 124-148.
 
 
 Link to FirstGov.gov: U.S. Government portal Privacy Policy | Website Policies & Other Important Information | Site Map
Need Larger Text?