The Retirement Prospects of Divorced Women

by Barbara A. Butrica and Karen E. Smith
Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 72, No. 1, 2012
Table equivalent for Chart 2. Projected average monthly Social Security benefit for divorced women at age 70 before and after their ex-husbands die, and percentage of divorced women whose benefits are higher as survivors, by birth cohort
Birth cohort Monthly Social Security benefit (in 2011 dollars) Percentage of divorced women with higher benefits
as a survivor
Ex-husband
alive		 Ex-husband
deceased
War babies (1936–1945) 1,080 1,320 54
Leading boomers (1946–1955) 1,150 1,480 60
Trailing boomers (1956–1965) 1,290 1,680 65
GenXers (1966–1975) 1,530 1,920 61
SOURCE: Authors' calculations using MINT6.