The European Social Services Index (ESSI) is the only European-level instrument that presents the evidence base on social services across Europe and supports their inclusion in EU policy coordination as acknowledged by the European Parliament in 2025 and 2026. Building on the work of ESN’s former European Semester Working Group, the ESSI provides a systematic framework for gathering, analysing and comparing information on social services across EU Member States.
Each year, with the support of the ESSI Working Group national members, ESN gathers national evidence and develops country-specific factsheets structured around the following core pillars: social services legislation, financing, coverage and policy. Together, these pillars provide a common analytical framework for understanding how social services are organised, funded and delivered, while recognising differences in national welfare systems, governance arrangements, definitions and data availability.
The country factsheets combine quantitative indicators with relevant institutional and policy information. Where appropriate, they also draw attention to national and subnational data sources and related benchmarking frameworks that complement ESSI indicators and help interpret regional variation. This is particularly relevant in decentralised systems, where national averages may conceal significant regional or local differences.
Alongside the country factsheets, ESN conducts a cross-country analysis to identify common trends, differences, data gaps and emerging challenges across European social services systems. This analysis informs recommendations at both national and EU levels and contributes to the gradual development of a more consistent European evidence base for social services.
A central purpose of the ESSI is to inform the European Semester, the EU framework for coordinating and monitoring Member States’ economic, social, employment and budgetary policies. Continuing ESN’s longstanding engagement with the European Semester, ESSI brings evidence from social services authorities and professionals into this process, with a particular focus on informing European Commission’s policy recommendations to national governments.
Through the interactive map below, you can explore our findings by year and country.
At the following links, you can view and download each year’s cross-country analysis: