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Monthly Statistical Snapshot, December 2016

(released January 2017)

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Table of Contents

Table 1. Number of people receiving Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or both, December 2016 (in thousands)
Type of beneficiary Total Social Security only SSI only Both Social Security and SSI
All beneficiaries 66,026 57,775 5,529 2,722
Aged 65 or older 45,401 43,208 976 1,217
Disabled, under age 65 a 14,041 7,982 4,554 1,505
Other b 6,585 6,585 . . . . . .
SOURCES: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record and Supplemental Security Record, 100 percent data.
NOTES: Social Security beneficiaries who are entitled to a primary and a secondary benefit (dual entitlement) are counted only once in this table. SSI counts include recipients of federal SSI, federally administered state supplementation, or both.
. . . = not applicable.
a. Includes children receiving SSI based on their own disability.
b. Social Security beneficiaries who are neither aged nor disabled (for example, early retirees, young survivors).
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.

For detailed annual and time series program data, see our Annual Statistical Supplement.

Table 2. Social Security benefits, December 2016
Type of beneficiary Beneficiaries Total monthly benefits (millions of dollars) Average monthly benefit (dollars)
Number (thousands) Percent
Total 60,907 100.0 75,918 1,246.45
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance 50,297 82.6 64,966 1,291.64
Retirement benefits 44,266 72.7 58,196 1,314.68
Retired workers 41,233 67.7 56,083 1,360.13
Spouses of retired workers 2,371 3.9 1,678 707.85
Children of retired workers 662 1.1 435 656.82
Survivor benefits 6,031 9.9 6,770 1,122.52
Children of deceased workers 1,893 3.1 1,585 837.44
Widowed mothers and fathers 133 0.2 126 946.93
Nondisabled widow(er)s 3,745 6.1 4,872 1,300.86
Disabled widow(er)s 259 0.4 186 717.65
Parents of deceased workers 1 (L) 1 1,154.19
Disability Insurance 10,610 17.4 10,952 1,032.25
Disabled workers 8,809 14.5 10,316 1,171.15
Spouses of disabled workers 135 0.2 44 323.98
Children of disabled workers 1,667 2.7 592 355.35
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTE: (L) = less than 0.05 percent.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.

For more detailed monthly OASDI information, visit the Actuary's website for Beneficiary Data.

Table 3. Supplemental Security Income recipients, December 2016
Age Recipients Total payments a (millions of dollars) Average monthly payment b (dollars)
Number (thousands) Percent
All recipients 8,251 100.0 4,740 542.38
Under 18 1,213 14.7 830 649.58
18–64 4,846 58.7 2,949 563.49
65 or older 2,192 26.6 960 436.76
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Record, 100 percent data.
a. Includes retroactive payments.
b. Excludes retroactive payments.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.

For more detailed monthly SSI information, see SSI Monthly Statistics.