countries with available data. In four countries (Türkiye, Spain, Romania and Greece), social protection remains marginal and reduces child poverty by less than a quarter.45 The effort (or lack thereof) that countries have made since the 2008-10 global recession to strengthen their social protection systems is also reflected in the change of poverty reduction effectiveness. In Figure 24, countries are ranked by the change in the poverty reduction effectiveness of benefits between 2012 and 2021 (or the latest year with available data).46 Echoing the patterns seen in previous indicators (i.e., changes in expenditure and adequacy), transfers’ estimated effect on child poverty has improved in approximately half of the countries and decreased in others. The effect of benefits has increased by more than 10 per cent in 12 European countries and decreased by over 10 per cent in 9. The expansion of social protection in Greece and Poland is reflected in stark increases (155 per cent and 88 per cent, respectively) in its effect on children’s income poverty. The largest drops in child poverty reduction occurred in Malta (40.9 per cent), Spain (37.9 per cent) and Luxembourg (37.8 per cent).47 Figure 24. Changes over time (2012–2021 or the latest available data) in the child poverty reduction effect of social transfers in Europe Source: See Technical Appendix 42 Malta Spain Luxembourg United Kingdom Portugal Norway Austria Czechia Italy Denmark Ireland Romania Belgium France Finland Latvia Slovakia Hungary Child Poverty in the Midst of Wealth Slovenia Lithuania Türkiye Estonia Poland Switzerland -45 Bulgaria 5 0 Germany Sweden 55 Cyprus Netherlands (Kingdom of the) Croatia 105 Greece Change in poverty reduction (%) 155 Innocenti Report Card 18