Big Data and the Welfare State: A Promising Alliance for the Future

The welfare state is based on the principle of solidarity, whereby all citizens contribute to financing social insurance programs that protect them against social risks such as illness, old age, and unemployment. However, social systems are often characterized by information asymmetry, which can undermine their effectiveness and efficiency. In the era of Big Data, social sciences and data sciences can combine to provide new solutions to this problem. Big Data enables the collection and analysis of large volumes of data, which can help reduce information asymmetry and improve decision-making in social systems. The Moroccan social register information system is a key element in the government's strategy for implementing the welfare state. It collects data on Moroccan households' living conditions, which is then used to generate social indicators and monitor the impact of public policies. The objective of this article is to explore the potential of Big Data to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of social systems. It proposes an approach that combines social science and data science methodologies to measure the outcomes and impact of these systems on poor and vulnerable populations.