Back to overviewThe five pillars of social security.
The German social security system provides support in emergencies or transitional phases, ensuring participation and integration. It stands on five central pillars: Pension insurance, health insurance, long-term care insurance, unemployment insurance and casualty insurance. Other key elements of the social safety net are employment stimulation, labour legislation and childcare benefits, rehabilitation of people with disabilities, housing benefits and social welfare.
Social security in a changing society
Modern societies are characterized by constant change. The workplace of the future requires different solutions than the ageing industrial society. Digitization demands more flexibility at work, increased qualification requirements and changing forms of employment. At the same time, technological progress offers enormous opportunities to face the challenges of the future, especially those caused by demographic change.
To maintain their role of protection and risk mitigation, social security systems must be continuously adapted to the current conditions. The social and economic challenges involved are enormous: questions of financing, distribution, security and quality of supply and participation in society must be answered.
The future of social security in Germany
Political decisions regarding social security require vision and precision.
- Is the so-called Doppelte Haltelinie (“double threshold”) for pension levels fair for all generations?
- How can the labour market be managed in an inclusive way?
- What can innovative solutions contribute to securing health and nursing care provision?
The answers to these and other questions will determine the future of social security in Germany.
Social Protection: A selection of our services
Social security model OCCUR
We quantify the financial requirements and examine options for reforming social security using the OCCUR social security model.
Microsimulation model
With our microsimulation model, we can identify support requirements and distribution effects.
Conception & evaluation
We develop and evaluate supply plans and pilot projects.
Interdisciplinarity
As the social safety net in Germany is densely knit, we combine professional expertise from all of its subfields.
Do you have questions?
Your contact at Prognos
Dr Oliver Ehrentraut
Head of the economics division, Partner, Director
About us
Prognos – Providing Orientation.
Prognos is one of the oldest economic research centres in Europe. Founded at the University of Basel, Prognos experts have been conducting research for a wide range of clients from the public and private sectors since 1959 – politically independent, scientifically sound.
Learn more