Social Security Beneficiary Statistics

**Number of disabled workers and their dependents receiving benefits on December 31, 1970-2007**
Year	Total	Disabled workers¹			Spouses²			Children³
Year	Total	Total	Male	Female	Total	Hus- bands	Wives	Total	Minor	Disabled	Student
1970	2,665,629	1,493,316	1,069,234	424,082	283,526	522	283,004	888,787	799,272	14,302	75,213
1971	2,929,900	1,647,696	1,175,264	472,432	311,525	517	311,008	970,679	869,729	15,526	85,424
1972	3,271,486	1,832,916	1,300,284	532,632	350,139	526	349,613	1,088,431	968,587	17,584	102,260
1973	3,560,706	2,016,884	1,418,034	598,850	381,326	546	380,780	1,162,496	1,040,799	18,232	103,465
1974	3,911,951	2,236,928	1,549,365	687,563	411,795	551	411,244	1,263,228	1,124,113	20,988	118,127
1975	4,352,498	2,488,951	1,711,066	777,885	452,949	563	452,386	1,410,598	1,239,140	24,211	147,247
1976	4,623,827	2,670,244	1,823,762	846,482	473,909	550	473,359	1,479,674	1,285,655	26,893	167,126
1977	4,854,206	2,834,432	1,928,364	906,068	494,389	1,745	492,644	1,525,385	1,318,292	29,950	177,143
1978	4,868,576	2,879,828	1,952,227	927,601	491,535	2,304	489,231	1,497,213	1,296,771	31,585	168,857
1979	4,777,218	2,870,411	1,939,278	931,133	475,493	2,185	473,308	1,431,314	1,239,191	32,263	159,860
1980	4,682,172	2,861,253	1,929,618	931,635	462,204	2,147	460,057	1,358,715	1,185,618	32,898	140,199
1981	4,456,274	2,776,519	1,870,436	906,083	428,212	1,989	426,223	1,251,543	1,070,000	32,664	148,879
1982	3,973,465	2,603,713	1,745,568	858,145	365,883	1,831	364,052	1,003,869	894,506	30,027	79,336
1983	3,812,930	2,568,966	1,730,930	838,036	308,060	3,756	304,304	935,904	855,561	30,209	50,134
1984	3,821,804	2,596,535	1,747,548	848,987	303,984	4,837	299,147	921,285	858,244	31,166	31,875
1985	3,907,169	2,656,500	1,784,697	871,803	305,528	5,403	300,125	945,141	889,728	33,077	22,336
1986	3,993,279	2,727,386	1,826,179	901,207	300,592	5,858	294,734	965,301	910,385	34,642	20,274
1987	4,044,724	2,785,885	1,857,193	928,692	290,895	6,189	284,706	967,944	912,383	35,378	20,183
1988	4,074,300	2,830,284	1,876,878	953,406	280,821	6,379	274,442	963,195	902,412	35,823	24,960
1989	4,128,827	2,895,364	1,906,379	988,985	271,488	6,388	265,100	961,975	901,371	36,112	24,492
1990	4,265,981	3,011,294	1,967,408	1,043,886	265,890	6,488	259,402	988,797	927,511	37,154	24,132
1991	4,513,040	3,194,938	2,067,777	1,127,161	266,219	6,896	259,323	1,051,883	985,987	38,705	27,191
1992	4,889,696	3,467,783	2,219,789	1,247,994	270,674	7,435	263,239	1,151,239	1,084,035	42,030	25,174
1993	5,253,566	3,725,966	2,357,332	1,368,634	272,759	7,732	265,027	1,254,841	1,180,733	45,526	28,582
1994	5,583,519	3,962,954	2,473,061	1,489,893	271,054	7,857	263,197	1,349,511	1,270,719	48,396	30,396
1995	5,857,656	4,185,263	2,568,359	1,616,904	263,539	7,830	255,709	1,408,854	1,328,615	50,759	29,480
1996	6,072,034	4,385,623	2,644,454	1,741,169	223,854	5,489	218,365	1,462,557	1,377,094	52,632	32,831
1997	6,153,039	4,508,134	2,666,486	1,841,648	206,959	5,047	201,912	1,437,946	1,353,692	52,955	31,299
1998	6,334,570	4,698,319	2,737,296	1,961,023	189,843	4,500	185,343	1,446,408	1,360,805	54,430	31,173
1999	6,523,730	4,879,455	2,801,163	2,078,292	176,299	4,228	172,071	1,467,976	1,375,222	55,907	36,847
2000	6,673,362	5,042,334	2,856,411	2,185,923	165,123	4,019	161,104	1,465,905	1,374,407	56,754	34,744
2001	6,913,243	5,274,183	2,951,833	2,322,350	156,899	4,031	152,868	1,482,161	1,385,357	57,920	38,884
2002	7,221,268	5,543,981	3,070,001	2,473,980	151,614	4,137	147,477	1,525,673	1,422,265	59,459	43,949
2003	7,595,452	5,873,673	3,224,624	2,649,049	150,886	4,308	146,578	1,570,893	1,461,633	62,451	46,809
2004	7,949,272	6,197,664	3,373,359	2,824,305	152,805	4,506	148,299	1,598,803	1,485,274	64,737	48,792
2005	8,314,314	6,524,582	3,521,467	3,003,115	156,509	4,755	151,754	1,633,223	1,516,490	68,703	48,030
2006	8,619,385	6,811,679	3,646,650	3,165,029	155,658	4,939	150,719	1,652,048	1,530,399	71,991	49,658
2007	8,920,371	7,101,355	3,775,914	3,325,441	154,121	5,189	148,932	1,664,895	1,535,088	77,409	52,398
¹By definition, a disabled-worker beneficiary worked in covered employment long enough to be insured and had been working recently in covered employment prior to disability onset. ²A spouse of disabled worker must either (1) have a child under age 16 or a disabled child in his or her care, or (2) be at least 62 years old; applies also to divorced spouse if the marriage lasted at least 10 years. ³A 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.)

Return to main beneficiary table, or go to similar tables on old-age and survivor beneficiaries.


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