Social spending in developed countries...
...has increased from almost nothing to 25% in the last 100 years
One of the many positive side effects of countries getting richer is that they can afford to spend more on programs that make people’s lives better, such as healthcare, pensions and social support.
There is no escaping the fact that times are tough for a lot of people right now. Inflation is high, salaries for many have been flat (or even decreasing when accounting for inflation), and in the UK we are experiencing long delays and funding problems in the NHS.
But zooming out a little enables us to see how much more money is being spent on these programs than in the past (the graph is even steeper in absolute terms as GDP itself has greatly increased over the same time period). This means more social programs, more parks, and a greater social safety net.
Like developed countries in the recent past, developing countries today cannot afford to spend similar amounts on social spending - India spends 2.5% of its GDP, Kenya 3% and China 7%.
The precise nature (and ideal level) of government spending can, and should, be strongly debated, but the fact that as countries develop they spend more on social support should be something we can be very proud of.