Realidad y retos de la protección social en Euskadi

This article examines the scale, cover, intensity and social risks covered by the social protection system in the Basque Country, and its funding sources. The period from 1995 to 2008 is analysed and compared with the situation in other European Union countries. Finally, the challenges currently facing the social protection system in general and the Basque system in particular are listed: the ageing population, increased immigration and the growth in groups at risk of social exclusion, changes in the labour market and in household structures. The budgetary constraints resulting from the economic recession that started in 2008 are also considered.