Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2021

Benefits Awarded, Withheld, and Terminated

Awards to Disabled Beneficiaries and Nondisabled Dependents

Table 35. Number, selected years 1960–2021
Year Total Workers and nondisabled dependents Widow(er)s Adult children of—
Workers Spouses Children under age 18 Students aged 18–19 Retired workers Deceased workers Disabled workers
1960 388,861 207,805 54,187 102,516 . . . . . . 12,740 9,819 1,794
1965 538,983 253,499 69,183 175,109 19,794 . . . 10,017 8,668 2,713
1970 799,616 350,384 96,304 241,627 71,145 15,609 11,348 9,425 3,774
1975 1,305,345 592,049 148,741 391,284 117,043 23,521 14,636 11,182 6,889
1980 933,597 396,559 108,500 235,079 143,935 16,054 16,650 10,626 6,194
1981 826,340 351,847 95,575 199,829 134,390 14,154 15,365 9,745 5,435
1982 672,333 297,131 77,835 153,205 103,015 12,440 14,772 9,685 4,250
1983 661,467 311,549 80,079 152,954 68,834 14,412 17,309 11,223 5,107
1984 730,135 361,998 81,834 172,721 59,990 17,165 18,330 12,556 5,541
1985 763,363 377,371 83,511 190,204 56,108 17,086 19,661 12,709 6,713
1986 809,424 416,865 82,435 198,192 52,989 18,418 20,295 13,244 6,986
1987 799,180 415,848 77,316 195,030 54,925 16,396 20,761 12,117 6,787
1988 795,690 409,490 73,790 196,655 61,725 15,328 20,544 11,512 6,646
1989 801,893 425,582 69,113 197,950 57,079 15,168 19,668 10,975 6,358
1990 868,793 467,977 69,667 218,059 58,894 15,424 20,862 11,277 6,633
1991 990,500 536,434 72,754 250,287 60,349 29,590 21,850 11,684 7,552
1992 1,167,001 636,637 78,083 306,002 66,035 33,235 23,615 13,846 9,548
1993 1,177,268 635,238 74,605 317,263 71,081 31,835 23,173 13,819 10,254
1994 1,177,236 631,870 69,549 327,067 74,364 29,903 22,119 12,590 9,774
1995 1,173,317 645,832 63,097 315,587 75,929 29,597 21,566 11,930 9,779
1996 1,139,054 624,335 57,528 311,228 76,769 28,611 20,169 11,061 9,353
1997 1,059,556 587,417 50,818 278,040 76,034 28,546 19,611 10,616 8,474
1998 1,087,352 608,131 47,550 279,764 82,567 29,399 19,932 10,914 9,095
1999 1,106,343 620,488 46,164 283,768 84,525 29,650 20,467 11,430 9,851
2000 1,051,900 610,700 38,500 263,200 74,600 27,600 21,100 9,200 7,000
2001 1,118,300 661,900 41,100 268,800 75,700 26,500 22,300 12,200 9,800
2002 1,219,670 730,383 43,301 293,131 77,927 28,339 22,798 15,284 8,507
2003 1,259,672 755,706 44,638 302,756 82,447 27,324 21,836 15,225 9,740
2004 1,311,031 775,244 45,649 313,640 96,871 27,744 22,127 16,455 13,301
2005 1,402,509 821,207 49,917 338,506 104,405 29,576 25,591 17,973 15,334
2006 1,369,044 798,675 49,521 325,861 107,786 28,682 25,679 17,467 15,373
2007 1,383,199 804,787 47,583 322,362 112,140 28,810 28,359 20,368 18,790
2008 1,506,563 877,226 50,756 348,649 119,633 30,605 32,712 24,369 22,613
2009 1,647,013 970,696 54,112 381,786 129,132 31,518 35,734 22,821 21,214
2010 1,740,729 1,026,988 53,987 408,989 135,825 33,259 35,533 21,942 24,206
2011 1,695,780 998,979 53,276 392,900 135,547 33,183 35,610 21,575 24,710
2012 1,603,793 960,206 50,165 354,273 136,310 33,197 29,283 18,236 22,123
2013 1,442,810 868,965 46,183 303,895 127,542 31,599 27,998 16,638 19,990
2014 1,287,537 778,796 42,609 253,196 122,361 29,673 27,241 15,705 17,956
2015 1,230,090 741,478 40,957 235,344 114,360 30,397 31,175 16,350 20,029
2016 1,167,535 706,448 39,698 218,325 110,182 28,514 30,264 16,244 17,860
2017 1,171,070 715,921 36,095 217,868 105,088 28,450 30,854 18,616 18,178
2018 1,119,930 686,723 34,810 199,304 100,710 26,143 33,923 20,283 18,034
2019 1,081,819 679,449 35,084 192,442 92,812 21,244 29,032 16,903 14,853
2020 986,093 619,636 29,200 177,898 79,895 21,476 28,596 15,877 13,515
2021 830,400 540,353 24,919 129,007 70,226 18,998 21,975 14,926 9,996
SOURCES: Social Security Administration. For years before 2000, Annual Statistical Supplement to the Social Security Bulletin, based on the Master Beneficiary Record, various sampling rates; from 2000 through 2001, Annual Award and Termination Transaction file, 1 percent sample; data after 2001 are 100 percent data. From 2012 and forward, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTES: Because of differences in data sources and calculation methods, statistics reported in this table may differ from those reported by the Office of the Chief Actuary.
Data exclude closed period awards in 2002 and 2003 and expedited reinstatement cases from 2002 through 2011.
. . . = not applicable.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 36. Number and average monthly benefit, by basis of entitlement, age, and sex, 2021
Basis of entitlement and age Total Male Female
Number Average monthly benefit a (dollars) Number Average monthly benefit a (dollars) Number Average monthly benefit a (dollars)
  Workers
Total 540,353 1,568.89 288,477 1,728.79 251,876 1,385.76
Under 25 15,233 808.76 9,056 809.49 6,177 807.70
25–29 15,216 1,048.63 8,140 1,061.43 7,076 1,033.89
30–34 18,123 1,194.30 9,106 1,231.28 9,017 1,156.95
35–39 23,654 1,321.16 11,502 1,385.72 12,152 1,260.06
40–44 31,806 1,421.60 15,363 1,527.62 16,443 1,322.55
45–49 43,789 1,498.06 21,290 1,638.01 22,499 1,365.63
50–54 92,992 1,532.05 46,397 1,705.11 46,595 1,359.73
55–59 159,661 1,639.11 85,684 1,824.11 73,977 1,424.83
60–64 133,543 1,796.89 78,062 1,974.28 55,481 1,547.30
65–FRA 6,336 1,836.89 3,877 1,993.25 2,459 1,590.35
  Spouses of disabled workers
Total 24,919 397.08 2,949 373.38 21,970 400.26
Entitlement based on care of children 3,523 324.86 189 241.39 3,334 329.59
Under 30 292 223.22 7 203.63 285 223.70
30–34 450 242.35 24 213.39 426 243.98
35–39 675 280.22 32 222.64 643 283.09
40–44 702 317.26 33 229.03 669 321.61
45–49 596 369.40 29 255.33 567 375.23
50–54 442 401.20 25 239.39 417 410.90
55–FRA 366 439.55 39 282.17 327 458.32
Entitlement based on age 21,396 408.97 2,760 382.42 18,636 412.90
62–64 16,338 372.36 1,454 264.39 14,884 382.91
65 or older 5,058 527.22 1,306 513.82 3,752 531.88
  Children of disabled workers
Total 209,229 438.13 109,424 440.69 99,805 435.32
Under 18 129,007 381.96 65,917 382.32 63,090 381.58
Under 5 30,510 288.20 15,724 289.21 14,786 287.12
5–9 30,830 334.17 15,700 336.21 15,130 332.06
10–14 44,393 414.23 22,650 413.64 21,743 414.84
15–17 23,274 506.62 11,843 507.17 11,431 506.04
Students 18–19 70,226 539.00 37,392 541.60 32,834 536.04
Disabled 18 or older 9,996 454.32 6,115 452.79 3,881 456.74
  Widow(er)s
Total 18,998 842.45 2,234 663.59 16,764 866.29
50–54 6,604 829.01 747 667.63 5,857 849.60
55–59 12,252 848.39 1,471 661.39 10,781 873.91
60–FRA 142 955.27 16 677.13 126 990.59
  Adult children
Total 46,897 744.81 28,266 744.59 18,631 745.16
Children of—  
Retired workers 21,975 757.02 13,224 755.65 8,751 759.09
Deceased workers 14,926 921.39 8,927 928.08 5,999 911.43
Disabled workers 9,996 454.32 6,115 452.79 3,881 456.74
Under 25 20,983 710.70 12,843 716.43 8,140 701.66
25–29 8,030 805.18 4,970 801.66 3,060 810.90
30–34 7,861 796.21 4,752 791.05 3,109 804.09
35–39 5,678 755.12 3,327 748.92 2,351 763.89
40–44 2,800 684.97 1,535 676.00 1,265 695.86
45–49 894 671.50 495 670.16 399 673.16
50–54 320 751.83 167 699.76 153 808.66
55–59 216 741.89 118 700.06 98 792.26
60–64 87 727.67 50 711.77 37 749.16
65 or older 28 799.13 9 666.05 19 862.17
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTES: Because of differences in data sources and calculation methods, statistics reported in this table may differ from those reported by the Office of the Chief Actuary.
Starting with 2007, age is based on date of entitlement and not date of award. Entitlement can be retroactive and thus precede the date of award.
FRA = full retirement age.
a. Benefits awarded before the December cost-of-living increase are converted to the December rates before averages are computed.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.