Great Graphic: Family Benefits in the EU

This Great Graphic was tweeted by Random Jog.  It shows family benefits as a percent of GDP for EU countries. There are two parts to the benefits. There is the part that all families receive.  It is the basket of goods and services one gets as a citizen.  This is the red bar. 

There are also the benefits that are means-tested.  These are shown in blue.   Several countries have no means tested family benefits.  While there are no countries that have only means-test family benefits, Italy and Portugal come the closest.  

The disparity between countries like Denmark and Luxembourg whose family benefits programs amount to 4% of GDP is in stark contrast with Poland, whose program is less than 1% of GDP, is stark.  It does not appear to be able to be explained by size of country or GDP per capita.  Culture, broadly understood, to include history and institutional arrangements, may matter more.