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Yet, ensuring all citizens have the means to meet their most basic needs amid growing economic offers a certain elegance to policy wonks: do away with bloated bureaucracies and myriad programs and replace them all with a singular, simplified program.

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Finland

The country will soon be giving between 5,000 and 10,000 citizens the Canadian equivalent of $800 to $1,000 a month in its own basic income trial. It’s expected to start in 2017, but reports this spring suggest the government is already scaling back its plans after public backlash.

Kenya

A project based in Nairobi as well as small villages is being backed by MIT researchers. With a budget of at least US$30 million and up to US$100 million, it’s being touted as one of the largest single test runs of universal basic income in the world. It’s called GiveDirectly and is fundraising to increase its efforts.

Netherlands

The city of Utrecht will replace, starting next year, all its welfare programs with a group of benefits that will pay single adults the equivalent of $1,400 a month and couples $2,000. One group will remain under an old and restrictive “workfare” regime and another will get the money unconditionally to see which group fares better in the long run.

Switzerland

Voter rejected a universal basic income in a referendum in June — the first time a country has widely considered a national guaranteed annual income. The program would have guaranteed adults an monthly income of 2,500 Swiss Francs, or $3,300, and children 625 Francs or $825. A resounding majority — 77 per cent — voted against the proposal.