Fast Facts & Figures About Social Security, 2004

 
Percentage of the aged receiving income, by source
Source of income 1962 2002
Social Security 69 90
Asset income 54 55
Private pensions 9 29
Government employee pensions 9 14
Earnings 36 22
 
Poverty status, by marital status, sex of nonmarried persons, race, and Hispanic origin, 2002
Characteristic Percent
poor		 Percent
near
poor
All persons 10 7
By marital status
Married persons 5 3
Nonmarried men 14 7
Nonmarried women 18 11
By race and Hispanic origin
White 9 6
Black 24 9
Hispanic 21 11
 
Percentage of population fully insured and insured for disability benefits, by sex
Sex 1970 2004
Fully insured
Men 92 92
Women 63 82
Insured for disability
Men 85 84
Women 41 73
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Office of the Chief Actuary
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
2000 1960.65 621.65
2001 1779.23 691.31
2002 1812.55 750.00
2003 1791.32 777.46
 
Percentage distribution of beneficiaries by age, by program, December 2003
Age OASI DI
Total 100 100
Under 18 4 19
18–61 3 69
62–64 8 11
65 or older 85 0.9
NOTE: Percentages may not sum to 100 because of rounding.
Average age of disabled workers, 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
2000 50.8
2003 51.3
 
Percentage distribution of adult beneficiaries by type of beneficiary, by sex, December 2003
Type of beneficiary Men Women
Total 100 100
Retired workers 80 57
Disabled workers 17 11
Spouses of retired and disabled workers a 11
Adult survivors a 19
Disabled adult children 2 1
NOTE: Percentages may not sum to 100 because of rounding.
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 34.7
2000 48.2 43.0
2003 48.4 45.0
NOTE: -- = not available.
Percentage distribution of SSI beneficiaries by sex, by age, December 2003
Age Men Women
All ages 42 58
Under 18 65 35
18–64 43 57
65 or older 30 70
 
Percentage of SSI beneficiaries receiving other income, by age and source, December 2003
Age OASDI Other
unearned
income		 Earnings
All ages 35.1 11.7 3.9
Under 18 7.0 18.7 0.3
18–64 30.7 8.2 6.1
65 or older 57.4 15.4 1.4
 
Number and average monthly benefit for children receiving OASDI, by type of beneficiary, December 2003
Type of beneficiary Number
(thousands)		 Average
monthly
benefit
(dollars)
Children of retired workers 288 420
Children of disabled workers 1,508 249
Children of deceased workers 1,411 595
 
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
2000 846.78 463.05
2001 881.84 476.09
2002 914.82 487.73
2003 959.38 490.63
a. As of 1998, these figures exclude retroactive payments.