The main benchmark of socio-economic development has traditionally been the solution of social problems associated with a progressive rise in the level and quality of life, reduction of poverty and create prerequisites for further growth in population welfare.
By the end of 2010 provided to reduce the proportion of people with incomes below the subsistence budget, twice. Level of poverty declined from 11.1 percent in 2006 to 7,7 percent in 2007. It is important to note that this decline occurred in all regions of the country, not just in big cities. It occurred at a relatively low level of differentiation of incomes of citizens: in 2007 the ratio of incomes of higher and lower quintile groups of households was 6 times.
One of the key aspects of effective social development is to expand employment. This is one of the primary tasks of the state of socio-economic policy of Belarus. The unemployment rate in Belarus is one of the lowest in Europe, he is now less than 1 percent. The state provides additional safeguards in the employment of special hardship, and particularly vulnerable people, including parents of large families and single parent families, persons under 21 years, which is the first time in search of work, disabled, citizens released from prison, etc. Additional safeguards include measures such as reservation of jobs for certain categories of citizens, training programs.
In Belarus, for almost ten years have seen a downward trend in women's and youth unemployment.
State social support of the population is a critical component of social and economic policy of Belarus. Since 2007, the country actively intervenes in the implementation of the principle of targeting of state support. This measure, as set out in legislation, allows for a clear, transparent, bureaucratic mechanism for state targeted social assistance to those who need it most.
One of the main elements of social support is the state pension. Given the demographic structure of the population due to aging, recipients of pensions are 26 percent of the population. Expenditure on pensions account for 11 per cent of GDP. Since 2008 the growth of pensions of more than 6 per cent. During the period from 2003 to 2008 the proportion of pensioners with pensions below the minimum subsistence budget decreased from 29, 9 percent to 6 percent of the total number of pensioners.
To provide additional protection for citizens' rights to pension benefits Belarus actively develops the relevant international treaty framework: special safeguards agreement pensions in the relocation of citizens of Belarus are almost all neighboring countries and the CIS states.
As part of the social support of elderly and disabled people important is the development of a network of stationary social service institutions. In Belarus there are 70 homes for the elderly and disabled people, including 9 homes for disabled children with physical and mental development, as well as boarding Republican veterans of the Second World War and Labor, in which more than 16 thousand people.
Education and literacy - essential foundations of progressive socio-economic development of Belarus. In Belarus, the annual expenditure on education amounts to 6 percent of GDP and higher than those of a number of highly developed countries. Belarus guaranteed free secondary education, to maintain free higher education, which is available to any person on a competitive basis. With an emphasis on equality of educational opportunities for urban and rural youth.