Trends in the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income Disability Programs

 

Chart Descriptions for Population Factors Influencing Program Size section

Table equivalent for Chart 44. Population of the United States aged 15–64, 1970–2000 (in millions)
Year Population
1970 125.25
1980 149.71
1990 163.90
2000 186.18
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census.
Table equivalent for Chart 45. Number of workers insured for disability, by sex, December 1970–2003 (in millions)
Year Men Women All insured
workers
1970 49.85 24.66 74.50
1971 49.84 24.66 74.50
1972 50.46 25.68 76.14
1973 51.12 26.68 77.80
1974 52.29 28.11 80.40
1975 54.32 30.98 85.31
1976 54.27 30.88 85.15
1977 54.67 31.95 86.62
1978 55.71 33.67 89.38
1979 57.62 36.08 93.70
1980 60.14 40.19 100.33
1981 60.21 40.24 100.45
1982 60.70 41.66 102.36
1983 61.06 42.94 104.00
1984 61.18 43.77 104.96
1985 62.90 46.68 109.57
1986 63.61 48.04 111.65
1987 64.23 49.27 113.50
1988 65.07 50.61 115.68
1989 66.05 52.01 118.06
1990 66.90 53.18 120.08
1991 67.38 54.15 121.53
1992 67.84 55.05 122.88
1993 68.44 56.00 124.43
1994 69.15 57.06 126.21
1995 69.98 58.25 128.23
1996 70.82 59.50 130.32
1997 71.66 60.70 132.36
1998 72.61 62.04 134.65
1999 73.56 63.36 136.92
2000 74.42 64.57 138.99
2001 74.98 65.69 140.67
2002 75.95 66.87 142.81
2003 77.04 68.19 145.23
SOURCE: Annual Statistical Supplement to the Social Security Bulletin, 2004, Table 4.C2.
Table equivalent for Chart 46. Prevalence of self-reported work disability for persons aged 16–64, 1981–2003 (percent)
Year All work
disability		 Not severe Severe
1981 9.00 4.30 4.70
1982 8.90 4.20 4.70
1983 8.70 4.10 4.60
1984 8.60 4.00 4.60
1985 8.80 4.30 4.50
1986 8.80 4.10 4.70
1987 8.60 3.90 4.70
1988 8.60 3.80 4.80
1989 9.00 3.97 4.99
1990 9.20 4.00 5.20
1991 9.40 4.06 5.25
1992 9.70 4.12 5.58
1993 10.10 a a
1994 10.05 3.86 6.19
1995 10.07 3.63 6.43
1996 10.10 3.70 6.50
1997 10.20 3.60 6.60
1998 9.90 3.40 6.50
1999 9.70 3.10 6.60
2000 9.70 3.30 6.40
2001 9.60 3.00 6.50
2002 9.90 3.00 6.90
2003 9.71 2.85 6.85
SOURCE: Authors' compilation of published statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey.
NOTES: In the Current Population Survey (CPS), people are categorized as "work disabled" if they are receiving disability benefits (such as persons aged 0–64 who are on Medicare or Medicaid or who receive DI or SSI benefits) or if the person has a problem working (or is not working) because of illness or disability.
There was a minor change in the CPS definition of disability in 1996, but the trends in the series were well established before, and continued after, the change.
a. The Census Bureau did not publish CPS data on severity of disability for 1993.
Table equivalent for Chart 47. Gross and age-sex adjusted incidence rates for disabled workers, 1970–2003 (number per thousand)
Year Gross Adjusted for
age and sex a
1970 4.94 4.55
1971 5.70 5.30
1972 6.12 5.72
1973 6.47 6.13
1974 6.84 6.68
1975 7.21 7.19
1976 6.59 6.60
1977 6.65 6.73
1978 5.53 5.84
1979 4.74 5.12
1980 4.36 4.82
1981 3.86 4.21
1982 3.33 3.69
1983 4.19 4.67
1984 3.95 4.30
1985 3.93 4.30
1986 3.93 4.27
1987 3.83 4.18
1988 3.71 4.08
1989 3.78 4.17
1990 4.06 4.48
1991 4.59 5.03
1992 5.39 5.82
1993 5.30 5.67
1994 5.20 5.52
1995 5.24 5.54
1996 4.99 5.24
1997 4.63 4.80
1998 4.72 4.83
1999 4.73 4.78
2000 4.66 4.66
2001 5.10 5.02
2002 5.49 5.30
2003 5.64 5.37
SOURCE: 2005 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance Trust Funds, Figure V.C3.
NOTE: The disabled-worker incidence rate is the number of awards of DI worker benefits per 1,000 exposed (workers insured for disability but not receiving disability benefits).
a. The adjustment uses the population distribution of 2000 as its base. A description of the method used to adjust for age and sex can be found in the 2005 Trustees Report, p. 114.
Table equivalent for Chart 48. Entry rate of SSI blind and disabled, by age group, 1980–2003 (number per thousand)
Year 0–17 18–34 35–49 50–64
1980 0.62 1.31 1.58 4.15
1981 0.57 1.08 1.24 3.09
1982 0.58 0.87 1.24 2.63
1983 0.72 1.21 1.46 3.43
1984 0.72 1.49 1.77 4.17
1985 0.73 1.42 1.76 4.36
1986 0.84 1.73 2.32 4.53
1987 0.73 1.62 2.18 4.67
1988 0.75 1.37 2.14 4.35
1989 0.72 1.54 2.20 4.61
1990 1.12 1.87 2.48 5.40
1991 1.82 2.02 3.08 5.89
1992 3.14 2.79 3.83 6.76
1993 3.29 2.74 3.72 6.41
1994 2.82 2.34 3.39 6.01
1995 2.42 2.11 3.31 5.98
1996 1.97 1.94 3.02 5.40
1997 1.56 1.61 2.63 4.56
1998 1.81 1.70 2.75 4.79
1999 1.87 1.65 2.79 4.63
2000 1.93 1.62 2.68 4.38
2001 2.08 1.74 2.74 4.37
2002 2.26 1.83 2.87 4.52
2003 2.39 1.89 2.86 4.47
SOURCE: 2004 Annual Report of the Supplemental Security Income Program, Tables IV.A1 and IV.B2.
NOTE: The incidence rate is the number of blind and disabled SSI entrants per 1,000 in population. The reference population is the "Selected Social Security Area Population" of the appropriate age group and includes the population of the United States and several additional areas. See the glossary for a complete definition.