With the exception of the Cook Islands, Nauru, and Tuvalu, most of PICs show below average coverage, varying between 22 per cent in Fiji to 1 per cent in PNG (table 3). The social protection expenditure going to the poor is quite insignificant within the Pacific region. The value is much lower in the Pacific region (11 per cent) when compared to the 23 per cent in Asia (Baulch and others, 2008).