Fast Facts & Figures About Social Security, 2000

 
Percentage of aged units receiving income, by source
Source of income 1962 1998
Social Security 69 90
Asset income 54 63
Private pensions 9 31
Government employee pensions 9 14
Earnings 36 21
 
Percentage of aged beneficiaries in poverty with and kept out of poverty with Social Security, by marital status and race, 1998
Characteristic Poor even with Social Security Keep out of
poverty with
Social Security
Total beneficiaries 9 39
By marital status
Married 3 36
Nonmarried 15 43
By race
White alone 7 39
Black alone 24 41
 
Percentage of population aged 20 or older insured for benefits, by sex
Sex 1970 2000
Fully insured
Men 92 93
Women 63 83
Insured for disability
Men 73 72
Women 33 60
 
New awards to retired and disabled workers (in thousands)
Year Retired
workers		 Disabled
workers
1968 1200.00 323.00
1969 1272.78 344.74
1970 1338.11 350.38
1971 1391.40 415.90
1972 1461.40 455.44
1973 1493.19 491.62
1974 1413.15 535.98
1975 1505.75 592.05
1976 1475.77 551.46
1977 1593.63 568.87
1978 1472.79 464.42
1979 1590.85 416.71
1980 1612.67 396.56
1981 1578.99 351.85
1982 1618.41 297.13
1983 1669.74 311.55
1984 1607.37 362.00
1985 1690.49 377.37
1986 1734.25 416.87
1987 1681.72 415.85
1988 1654.07 409.49
1989 1656.74 425.58
1990 1664.75 467.98
1991 1695.35 536.43
1992 1707.95 636.64
1993 1661.28 635.24
1994 1625.35 631.87
1995 1609.17 645.83
1996 1581.45 624.34
1997 1718.62 587.42
1998 1631.51 608.13
1999 1690.02 620.49
 
Hypothetical benefit amounts for a person who claimed benefits in January 2000 a (in dollars)
Earnings Age 62 Age 65
Low earner 518 598
Average earner 853 987
High earner 1,110 1,279
Maximum earner 1,241 1,433
SOURCE: Office of the Chief Actuary, SSA.
a. Low earnings are defined as 45% of the national average wage index, average earnings are equal to the index, high earnings are 160% of the index, and maximum earnings are equal to the OASDI contribution and benefits base.
Percentage distribution of beneficiaries by age, by program, December 1999
Age OASI DI
Under 18 4 21
18–61 3 68
62–64 8 11
65 or older 84 0.3
NOTE: Percentages may not sum to 100 because of rounding.
Average age of disabled worker beneficiaries, selected years
Year Disabled
workers
1960 57.2
1965 54.7
1970 54.2
1975 53.8
1980 53.2
1985 52.1
1990 50.5
1995 49.8
1999 50.6
 
Percentage distribution of adult beneficiaries by type of beneficiary, by sex, December 1999
Type of beneficiary Men Women
Total 100 100
Retired workers 81 56
Disabled workers 16 9
Spouses of workers a 12
Spouses and widowers of workers 1 a
Adult survivors a 22
Disabled adult children 2 1
a. Less than 0.5 percent.
Women as a percentage of retired worker and disabled worker beneficiaries, selected years
Year Retired
workers		 Disabled
workers
1940 11.6 --
1950 17.1 --
1957 -- 19.1
1960 35.3 21.8
1970 42.4 28.4
1980 46.5 32.6
1990 47.7 34.0
1999 48.4 42.5
NOTE: -- = not available.
Percentage distribution of SSI beneficiaries by sex, by age, December 1999
Age Men Women
Under 18 63 37
18–64 44 56
65 or older 28 72
 
Percentage of SSI beneficiaries receiving other income, by source and age, December 1999
Age OASDI Other
unearned
income		 Earnings
All ages 36.3 11.7 4.5
Under 18 7.4 16.9 0.4
18–64 30.2 8.2 7.0
65 or older 59.7 15.8 1.6
 
Number and average monthly benefit for children receiving OASDI, by type of beneficiary, December 1999
Type of beneficiary Number
(thousands)		 Average
monthly
benefit
(dollars)
Children of retired workers 252 342
Children of disabled workers 1,412 212
Children of deceased workers 1,410 518
 
Number of children under age 18 receiving SSI, and average monthly SSI payment to children under age 18
Year Number of children
receiving SSI
(in thousands)		 Average monthly
SSI payment
(in percent) a
1974 70.90 109.15
1975 107.03 141.09
1976 125.41 154.24
1977 147.36 170.03
1978 165.90 171.72
1979 177.31 193.26
1980 190.39 219.08
1981 194.89 240.84
1982 191.57 263.22
1983 198.32 280.96
1984 211.59 292.86
1985 227.38 301.26
1986 241.20 321.34
1987 250.90 327.27
1988 255.14 343.24
1989 264.89 357.64
1990 308.59 403.72
1991 397.16 446.05
1992 556.47 610.98
1993 722.68 460.54
1994 841.47 448.07
1995 917.05 447.57
1996 955.17 442.01
1997 879.83 433.83
1998 887.07 441.75
1999 847.06 450.13
a. As of 1998, these figures exclude retroactive payments.