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Social Security Beneficiary Statistics
Number of …
Beneficiaries by broad groups
Retired workers & dependents
Survivors
Disabled workers & dependents

The table below provides unedited data from our Master Beneficiary Record. See the links at left for other beneficiary data.
Number of survivors receiving benefits on December 31, 1970-2008
Year Total Widows and widowers1 Children2 Parents3
Total Aged Young Disabled Total Minor Disabled Students
1970 6,468,621 3,751,161 3,178,602 523,272 49,287 2,688,727 2,161,693 154,954 372,080 28,733
1971 6,699,531 3,901,416 3,309,560 535,112 56,744 2,770,957 2,206,074 165,571 399,312 27,158
1972 6,933,998 4,060,742 3,455,610 540,965 64,167 2,847,201 2,239,764 180,641 426,796 26,055
1973 7,159,932 4,228,670 3,577,927 571,992 78,751 2,906,451 2,283,371 190,022 433,058 24,811
1974 7,254,228 4,343,160 3,677,477 573,557 92,126 2,888,046 2,242,583 203,623 441,840 23,022
1975 7,368,439 4,470,608 3,779,427 581,856 109,325 2,876,388 2,184,019 213,756 478,613 21,443
1976 7,496,649 4,573,801 3,876,587 578,780 118,434 2,902,933 2,147,490 232,189 523,254 19,915
1977 7,592,375 4,701,446 3,992,612 582,173 126,661 2,872,448 2,101,869 245,339 525,240 18,481
1978 7,577,983 4,788,102 4,082,868 576,353 128,881 2,772,704 2,022,426 253,586 496,692 17,177
1979 7,617,842 4,895,317 4,192,701 573,750 128,866 2,706,484 1,957,843 264,327 484,314 16,041
1980 7,600,836 4,977,387 4,287,930 562,798 126,659 2,608,653 1,883,236 275,430 449,987 14,796
1981 7,614,727 5,055,534 4,386,351 547,593 121,590 2,545,566 1,796,094 286,724 462,748 13,627
1982 7,441,849 5,109,845 4,480,739 514,804 114,302 2,319,521 1,716,457 296,850 306,214 12,483
1983 7,249,574 5,094,101 4,584,623 400,298 109,180 2,144,051 1,645,361 308,608 190,082 11,422
1984 7,181,017 5,161,635 4,671,871 382,416 107,348 2,008,930 1,575,301 321,486 112,143 10,452
1985 7,160,944 5,234,475 4,756,872 371,658 105,945 1,916,928 1,524,902 334,772 57,254 9,541
1986 7,165,349 5,281,464 4,825,443 349,982 106,039 1,875,186 1,476,363 347,942 50,881 8,699
1987 7,156,381 5,312,719 4,878,888 328,840 104,991 1,835,772 1,429,567 359,331 46,874 7,890
1988 7,162,789 5,346,583 4,925,699 317,761 103,123 1,809,061 1,381,922 369,679 57,460 7,145
1989 7,169,923 5,382,952 4,969,243 312,079 101,630 1,780,487 1,347,432 379,385 53,670 6,484
1990 7,197,326 5,415,405 5,010,493 303,923 100,989 1,776,013 1,333,690 389,385 52,938 5,908
1991 7,255,351 5,459,044 5,043,894 300,661 114,489 1,790,840 1,335,761 399,945 55,134 5,467
1992 7,312,632 5,499,551 5,074,051 294,176 131,324 1,807,998 1,341,363 413,148 53,487 5,083
1993 7,354,579 5,513,629 5,077,264 289,350 147,015 1,836,277 1,356,448 425,805 54,024 4,673
1994 7,384,066 5,515,451 5,071,703 283,072 160,676 1,864,297 1,375,574 436,768 51,955 4,318
1995 7,388,158 5,500,539 5,052,495 275,020 173,024 1,883,643 1,386,111 446,377 51,155 3,976
1996 7,353,284 5,451,947 5,027,901 242,135 181,911 1,897,667 1,391,095 454,367 52,205 3,670
1997 7,179,790 5,283,664 4,865,504 230,222 187,938 1,892,707 1,376,186 461,974 54,547 3,419
1998 7,097,445 5,210,465 4,795,674 220,610 194,181 1,883,794 1,363,444 468,705 51,645 3,186
1999 7,044,050 5,156,316 4,745,120 212,401 198,795 1,884,803 1,353,918 474,804 56,081 2,931
2000 6,985,244 5,104,489 4,700,010 203,052 201,427 1,878,007 1,346,091 480,351 51,565 2,748
2001 6,918,422 5,025,702 4,624,084 197,375 204,243 1,890,156 1,345,986 486,817 57,353 2,564
2002 6,875,054 4,964,755 4,563,280 194,117 207,358 1,907,899 1,350,533 492,985 64,381 2,400
2003 6,809,688 4,897,467 4,497,856 190,252 209,359 1,909,983 1,345,029 498,659 66,295 2,238
2004 6,733,597 4,826,864 4,432,300 183,829 210,735 1,904,625 1,335,765 503,247 65,613 2,108
2005 6,652,897 4,747,387 4,355,990 178,396 213,001 1,903,518 1,331,531 507,961 64,026 1,992
2006 6,565,865 4,665,073 4,279,305 171,453 214,315 1,898,903 1,320,862 512,596 65,445 1,889
2007 6,494,573 4,601,003 4,211,356 164,665 224,982 1,891,761 1,302,665 521,293 67,803 1,809
2008 6,456,042 4,539,775 4,150,158 159,610 230,007 1,914,574 1,280,182 564,735 69,657 1,693
1 Aged widow(er) must be at least 60 years old. Young widow(er) must have a child under age 16 or a disabled child in his or her care. Disabled widow(er) must meet disability requirements and be at least 50 years old.
2A minor child is one under age 18. A disabled child is a person disabled before the age of 22. A student child is a high school student under age 19. (Prior to 1982, the student-child category also included college students; beginning in 1982, payments to college students were gradually phased out.)
3 Parent of deceased worker must have been dependent on worker and be at least 62 years old.
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Last reviewed or modified Friday Dec 19, 2008
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