The Detailed data dataset is a subset of the OECD Social Expenditure Database (SOCX) database, has been developed in order to serve a growing need for indicators of social policy. It includes extensive reliable and internationally comparable statistics on public and mandatory and voluntary private social expenditure. It provides a unique tool for monitoring trends in aggregate social expenditure and analysing changes in its composition. The main social policy areas are as follows: old age, survivors, incapacity-related benefits, health, family, active labor market programmes, unemployment, housing, and other social policy areas. The data is presented by country with the name of programme as a core variable. Data are expressed in current prices in national currency in millions terms and are presented from 1980 onwards.

The Reference Series is a subset of the OECD Social Expenditure Database (SOCX) database, has been developed in order to serve a growing need for indicators of social policy.It provides a unique tool for monitoring trends in aggregate social expenditure and analysing changes in its composition while including estimates of the net total social spending for 2007 for the 27 OECD countries. Data is divided per country with core variables such as GDP in million terms, Gross National Income, PPP, exchange rates, total general government expenditure and more. Data are presented from 1980 onwards.