Trends and Frontiers in Willingness and Ability to Pay for Informal Workers’ Employment Social Security: A Bibliometric Analysis

Access to employment social security for informal workers has emerged as a critical issue in global social policy discourse, particularly within the framework of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and broader social protection goals. This study presents a bibliometric analysis to examine the evolution, trends, and intellectual structure of research on willingness to pay (WTP) and ability to pay (ATP) for employment social security among informal sector workers from 2010 to 2025. Data were retrieved from the Scopus and Web of Science databases and analyzed using VOSviewer. The analysis identifies key publication trends, influential journals, prominent authors, leading contributing countries, and emerging thematic clusters. Findings reveal a steady increase in scholarly output, especially in regions with high levels of informal employment such as Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Dominant themes include equity in social security financing, affordability, community-based social protection schemes, and behavioral factors influencing participation. This study enhances the understanding of the research landscape and offers valuable insights for policymakers and scholars aiming to improve informal workers' access to inclusive and sustainable employment social security systems.