Table 17. Real growth in expenditure on old age cash benefits in OECD countries 1 Annual percent change, based on 1995 prices and national currencies 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 United States 4.2 3.2 4.4 0.9 2.3 2.9 1.2 2.2 2.6 2.1 3.8 3.2 3.0 2.6 3.1 3.3 4.7 Japan 10.4 8.8 6.1 4.8 6.9 8.6 6.1 4.4 4.5 4.1 3.4 5.3 5.5 6.6 8.7 5.7 4.0 Germany 1.3 1.4 0.9 2.2 1.4 1.2 2.6 3.0 1.7 1.5 10.7 4.4 2.0 3.5 4.9 1.9 2.4 France 4.3 5.1 3.3 3.7 3.5 2.0 2.3 5.5 -0.8 9.0 3.3 4.5 3.1 1.6 2.9 2.7 2.0 Italy 11.1 4.9 8.5 1.2 6.6 4.9 3.0 3.8 4.8 15.3 4.7 8.8 1.0 3.6 1.4 2.3 4.7 United Kingdo 5.7 3.9 1.9 2.2 0.1 4.8 0.5 -2.3 -0.7 11.4 5.9 1.3 3.3 2.2 1.8 -0.9 1.6 Canada 5.8 5.8 5.8 8.5 8.9 7.0 6.9 4.1 3.5 4.9 6.1 5.4 3.8 3.6 1.7 2.4 3.5 Australia 2 3.6 0.7 4.1 1.8 -0.3 -0.4 3.1 -6.9 2.5 7.5 3.9 3.5 7.1 0.8 42.9 4.8 2.1 Austria .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4.1 1.9 4.4 3.6 2.2 2.1 -0.6 Belgium 5.5 1.1 2.5 0.6 1.1 2.0 1.1 4.4 0.1 2.8 5.6 2.5 1.5 1.9 2.6 1.9 3.1 Czech Republi .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. -3.8 1.2 -7.2 -1.3 4.1 7.1 13.7 Denmark -1.7 2.0 0.8 2.7 2.8 1.7 2.0 6.3 5.1 1.1 3.6 0.7 1.1 21.3 0.9 -0.2 -0.3 Finland 6.0 6.9 10.6 16.4 5.8 2.8 7.1 -0.6 3.0 4.1 8.9 7.7 -2.3 1.0 0.2 6.0 -0.5 Greece 10.5 27.7 1.1 11.1 9.1 2.5 2.8 2.7 8.0 7.6 -2.6 0.5 1.3 0.5 3.5 7.3 3.1 Iceland .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2.6 4.9 5.4 Ireland 7.2 9.8 1.3 1.7 0.7 0.2 3.4 0.8 -1.5 12.3 4.9 3.4 0.6 1.9 1.2 2.2 -0.4 Korea .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16.1 4.6 15.7 15.3 19.7 4.9 13.3 Luxembourg 4.7 -2.5 1.6 0.3 2.3 5.5 3.6 6.2 7.1 2.6 13.9 4.7 8.7 1.7 6.6 1.5 2.7 Mexico 3 .. .. .. .. .. 12.3 56.2 7.3 21.1 -6.9 16.4 12.6 -1.0 11.6 385.2 21.0 28.4 Netherlands -0.6 2.2 0.6 0.4 3.1 4.3 4.0 2.6 3.1 12.7 1.2 2.1 0.3 -3.2 -1.7 2.5 1.3 New Zealand 5.0 14.6 -3.7 0.6 6.6 -7.9 -2.5 -0.1 4.9 5.1 3.5 -7.9 -3.1 -1.5 -1.6 0.5 0.0 Norway .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2.0 2.8 3.6 5.2 2.4 4.5 1.5 1.2 2.5 Poland .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 42.9 22.5 6.6 4.8 4.9 5.4 9.9 Portugal 9.3 -3.7 13.0 -5.1 1.4 8.7 13.6 5.2 3.5 10.8 10.8 10.2 8.3 3.8 8.7 7.9 7.1 Spain 8.7 3.4 6.1 3.5 5.5 1.9 4.2 4.7 5.9 8.5 5.0 5.3 4.1 2.7 3.4 4.8 3.0 Sweden 7.6 1.1 3.9 -0.3 4.2 3.7 2.9 3.2 2.9 0.8 3.9 6.2 -0.1 1.9 -0.4 1.0 -0.1 Switzerland -4.3 7.2 -1.1 9.1 -0.3 3.2 0.6 3.0 -1.1 4.0 1.8 5.3 5.7 -0.2 3.5 -0.1 4.0 Turkey 4.8 14.1 16.5 -1.7 -1.8 4.3 10.9 18.0 18.9 43.9 4.1 14.9 9.3 -3.7 8.1 22.7 33.2 1. Includes old age cash benefits plus survivors benefits. 2. Prior to 1995, data on “superannuation pensions” and “superannuation lump sum” are not available. 3. Prior to 1995, social expenditure were underestimated, particularly with regard to old age cash benefits. Source: OECD Social Expenditure Database