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Population Profiles

  1. Child Beneficiaries
    & Poverty
  2. Fully Insured
    Workers
  3. Marital Status
    & Poverty
  4. Middle Class
    Beneficiaries
  5. Never
    Beneficiaries
  6. Taxable Maximum
    Earners
  7. Veteran
    Beneficiaries

Veteran Beneficiaries, 2021

Released: November 2021
Next expected update: 2022
  • In 2021, over 8.5 million veterans received Social Security benefits, accounting for 15.4 percent of all adult beneficiaries.
Chart. Title: Number of Veteran Beneficiaries, 2020. Bar chart with tabular version below.
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Table equivalent for chart: Number of Veteran Beneficiaries, 2021
Most recent period of military service Thousands
June 1950 or earlier 243
Korean War 576
February 1955–July 1964 1,398
Vietnam War 4,529
May 1975–July 1990 1,163
August 1990–August 2001 442
September 2001 or later 218
Chart. Title: Average Monthly Benefit, 2019: In 2019 dollars. Bar chart with tabular version below.
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Table equivalent for chart: Average Monthly Benefit, 2020 (in 2020 dollars)
Age group Veterans Male nonveterans
All ages 1,623 1,511
61 or younger 1,396 1,158
62–74 1,631 1,589
75 or older 1,638 1,594
Chart. Title: Poverty Rates of Beneficiaries, 2019: Percentage below 100% of poverty. Bar chart with tabular version below.
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Table equivalent for chart: Poverty Rates of Beneficiaries, 2020 (percentage below 100% of poverty)
Age group Veterans Male nonveterans
All ages 4.9 9.1
61 or younger 14.2 20.5
62–74 4.9 7.0
75 or older 4.1 5.6

SOURCE: March 2021 Current Population Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau, which reports 2020 income data and 2021 demographic data.