Not only does the level of social spending matter, but also the way in which it is targeted more or less specifically at the poorest populations. Therefore, both the level of social expenditure per capita and the share of social spending directed at the poorest 10% of households share negative associations with the relative child poverty rate, and this relation applies to all specifications. This suggests that relative child poverty is lower when social spending per head is higher, and also that, at given expenditure levels, child poverty is lower when the poorest fraction of the population receives a higher proportion of social spending.