Social Security Statistics: Grasping America’s Essential Safety Net

Social Security’s Extensive Reach

As of August 2025, Social Security touches the lives of 74.5 million Americans through various benefits programs. That breaks down into several major categories:

• 69.9 million people receive traditional Social Security benefits (old-age, survivors and disability insurance)
• 7.4 million receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• 2.5 million receive both Social Security and SSI1

To put that in perspective, more than 1 in 5 Americans receives some form of Social Security benefit.2 That makes Social Security one of the largest government programs in the world.

The Aging of America Reflected in Benefits

The demographics of Social Security recipients mirror America’s aging population:

• 57.8 million beneficiaries are ages 65 or older (77.4 percent of all recipients)
• 11.2 million are disabled and under age 65 (15.1 percent of recipients)
• 5.5 million fall into other categories such as early retirees or young survivors (7.5 percent of recipients)

Social Security Benefit Breakdown

Retirement benefits form the backbone of Social Security, serving 56.1 million Americans as of August 2025. That includes:

• 53.3 million retired workers receiving their own benefits
• 2.1 million spouses of retired workers
• 723,000 children of retired workers

To learn more about Social Security and how to maximize your benefits, watch our video below.

Average Benefit Amounts

The average monthly Social Security retirement benefit reached just over $2,000 in August 2025, representing a modest increase from previous months.3

That average, however, masks significant variation:

• Retired workers average about $2,008 per month
• Spouses of retired workers average about $954 per month
• Children of retired workers average about $924 per month

For context, the average annual retirement benefit of about $24,000 provides a crucial but modest income for most retirees.

Cost-of-Living Adjustments

Social Security benefits increased by 2.5 percent in 2025, providing additional support to more than 72.5 million Americans. That cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) helps benefits keep pace with inflation, but the increase was more modest than in recent years.4

Survivors’ Benefits

Social Security provides critical support to 5.8 million survivors of deceased workers. This often-overlooked component includes:

• 3.5 million widowed spouses and aged parents, averaging about $1,864 per month
• 2 million children of deceased workers, averaging about $1,137 per month
• 99,000 widowed mothers and fathers caring for children, averaging about $1,331 per month

Disability Benefits

Disability insurance serves 8.1 million Americans who can no longer work due to severe medical conditions.

• 7.1 million disabled workers receive an average of about $1,583 per month
• 946,000 children of disabled workers receive support averaging $510 per month
• 87,000 spouses of disabled workers receive benefits averaging $446 per month

SSI Demographics and Payments

SSI provides a safety net for 7.4 million Americans with limited income and resources. The program serves diverse populations.

By age:

• 33.7 percent are ages 65 or older (2.5 million people)
• 52.6 percent are working-age adults, ages 18 to 64 (3.9 million people)
• 13.7 percent are children under 18 (1 million people)

Average monthly SSI payments vary significantly by age:

• Adults 18 to 64 receive about $764 on average
• Children under 18 receive $847 on average
• Seniors 65 or older receive $594 on average

The Truth About Social Security Fraud

Despite frequent headlines about it, Social Security fraud is remarkably rare. Less than 1 percent of all Social Security payments are classified as improper, and most of those result from administrative errors rather than intentional fraud.

In fiscal year 2024, the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General received nearly 330,000 fraud allegations despite processing over $126 billion in monthly benefits to more than 73 million people.5

Types of Fraud Allegations

When fraud allegations occur, they typically fall into specific categories:

• 26.7 percent involve false impersonation (someone pretending to be someone else)
• 23.9 percent involve Social Security number misuse
• 15.9 percent relate to disability insurance
• 14.9 percent involve retirement benefits
• 9.9 percent concern SSI

The majority of fraud allegations come from private citizens (59.9 percent), followed by Social Security Administration employees (18.4 percent) and anonymous tips (13.9 percent).

Recent Antifraud Efforts

In 2025, the Social Security Administration implemented and then scaled back several antifraud measures. Initially, all phone-based benefits claims were held for three days while antifraud algorithms checked for suspicious activity.

Less than 1 percent of the over 110,000 calls reviewed were flagged as potentially fraudulent, however, leading the agency to abandon the most restrictive parts of the policy.6

The Future Outlook of Social Security

The primary driver of Social Security’s financial challenge is demographic: the aging of the baby boomer generation. As more Americans reach retirement age while birth rates remain relatively low, the ratio of workers supporting each beneficiary continues to decline.7

The 2025 Trustees Report projects that Social Security’s retirement trust fund will be depleted in 2033. If no action is taken, beneficiaries would face a 23 percent reduction in benefits starting in 2034.8

It’s crucial to understand what that means, however: Social Security would not disappear. Even after trust fund depletion, continuing payroll taxes would still fund about 77 percent of scheduled benefits.9

Methodology

This analysis draws from official Social Security Administration statistics, including the Monthly Statistical Snapshot for August 2025, the 2025 Annual Trustees Report and reports from the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General. Data on fraud allegations comes from Congressional Research Service reports and Office of the Inspector General quarterly updates.

Benefit amounts represent monthly payments due to beneficiaries in current-payment status as of August 2025, excluding retroactive payments and withholdings. Population statistics are based on the intermediate assumptions of the 2025 Trustees Report, which represent the trustees’ best estimate of future demographic and economic conditions.

Fraud statistics include allegations reported to the Office of the Inspector General, but not all allegations result in investigations or prosecutions. The distinction between fraud (intentional deception) and improper payments (including administrative errors) is important for understanding the true scope of fraudulent activity.

Conclusion

The numbers tell a clear story: Social Security remains one of America’s most successful and efficiently run government programs. It serves nearly 75 million people with remarkably low fraud rates and high public satisfaction.

The program faces long-term financial challenges due to demographic changes, however, including a funding shortage that requires congressional action within the next decade. Social Security fraud is far rarer than many headlines suggest, and fears about widespread fraud are largely unfounded. Understanding these realities helps separate legitimate concerns from unfounded fears.

Most importantly, Social Security continues to provide a vital safety net for millions of Americans, including retirees, disabled workers, survivors and children. Whether you’re currently receiving benefits or making long-term arrangements, the program’s track record of reliability and efficiency should provide some reassurance as we work together to ensure its long-term sustainability.

The data shows that Social Security isn’t perfect, but it works remarkably well for the vast majority of the millions of Americans who depend on it. That’s a track record worth protecting and preserving for future generations.