You are here: Social Security Administration > Research, Statistics & Policy Analysis > Statistics Archive > Monthly Statistical Snapshot, May 2021

Monthly Statistical Snapshot, May 2021

(released June 2021)

Download snapshot (0.8 MB)

Download all tables (0.2 MB)

Table of Contents

Table 1. Number of people receiving Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or both, May 2021 (in thousands)
Type of beneficiary Total Social Security only SSI only Both Social Security and SSI
All beneficiaries 69,898 62,064 5,236 2,598
Aged 65 or older 51,035 48,760 992 1,283
Disabled, under age 65 a 12,912 7,352 4,244 1,316
Other b 5,951 5,951 . . . . . .
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, May 2021
Type of beneficiary Beneficiaries Total monthly benefits (millions of dollars) Average monthly benefit (dollars)
Number (thousands) Percent
Total 65,068 100.0 93,095 1,430.73
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance 55,521 85.3 82,146 1,479.55
Retirement benefits 49,613 76.2 74,793 1,507.53
Retired workers 46,648 71.7 72,477 1,553.68
Spouses of retired workers 2,254 3.5 1,794 795.89
Children of retired workers 711 1.1 522 735.04
Survivor benefits 5,908 9.1 7,354 1,244.61
Children of deceased workers 1,988 3.1 1,834 922.65
Widowed mothers and fathers 113 0.2 118 1,049.76
Nondisabled widow(er)s 3,575 5.5 5,221 1,460.55
Disabled widow(er)s 233 0.4 179 770.85
Parents of deceased workers 1 (L) 1 1,311.28
Disability Insurance 9,547 14.7 10,949 1,146.79
Disabled workers 8,102 12.5 10,371 1,280.17
Spouses of disabled workers 103 0.2 37 358.92
Children of disabled workers 1,343 2.1 540 402.38
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, May 2021
Age Recipients Total payments a (millions of dollars) Average monthly payment b (dollars)
Number (thousands) Percent
All recipients 7,834 100.0 4,767 585.46
Under 18 1,081 13.8 770 689.91
18–64 4,478 57.2 2,911 616.05
65 or older 2,275 29.0 1,086 475.77
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.