Military Veterans and Social Security: 2010 Update

by Anya Olsen and Samantha O'Leary
Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 71 No. 2, 2011
Table equivalent for Chart 1. Average monthly Social Security benefit amounts,a by age in 2010
Age group Veteran beneficiaries Male nonveteran beneficiaries
All ages 1,289 1,198
Age
49 or younger 1,165 888
50–61 1,218 1,177
62–74 1,321 1,292
75 or older 1,268 1,198
SOURCE: March 2010 CPS.
NOTE: Weighted estimates are based on public-use March 2010 CPS (income year 2009), and are subject to nonsampling error (such as respondent error in reporting characteristics and amount and type of income).
a. Monthly benefits were computed by dividing the annual Social Security amounts by 12 (part-year beneficiaries may slightly lower the annual average). Benefit amounts do not include compensation or pension payments from the VA, but veterans' benefits may be higher because of special military wage credits.
Table equivalent for Chart 2. Veterans younger than age 66 who report receiving Social Security disability benefits in 2010, by period of military service
Period of military service Percent
February 1955–July 1964 2.0
Vietnam War 60.9
May 1975–July 1990 27.7
August 1990–August 2001 6.5
September 2001 or later 3.0
SOURCE: March 2010 CPS.
NOTES: Period of military service is defined as the last period in which the veteran served.
Distribution does not add to 100.0 because of rounding.
Table equivalent for Chart 3. Number of veterans and of all adults who are Social Security beneficiaries, 1968–2010
Year All adult beneficiaries Veteran beneficiaries
1968 18,077,561 2,125,012
1969 18,305,898 2,080,147
1970 18,700,505 2,072,067
1971 19,687,065 2,200,374
1972 20,541,858 2,329,919
1973 21,765,698 2,378,685
1974 23,397,250 2,560,899
1975 24,302,820 2,740,665
1976 25,749,696 2,990,187
1977 26,483,796 3,242,622
1978 27,715,456 3,340,459
1979 29,294,660 3,544,873
1980 29,932,595 3,847,843
1981 31,053,689 4,071,994
1982 31,792,689 4,563,524
1983 31,776,240 4,851,741
1984 32,116,883 5,281,297
1985 32,580,520 5,629,140
1986 33,005,870 5,931,726
1987 33,396,537 6,479,994
1988 34,449,694 6,809,143
1989 34,436,136 7,305,493
1990 34,945,366 7,585,275
1991 35,418,222 8,106,290
1992 35,508,894 8,292,154
1993 36,764,059 8,656,773
1994 36,215,826 8,713,829
1995 36,903,423 9,127,526
1996 37,529,898 9,388,794
1997 37,539,863 9,164,323
1998 37,742,530 9,285,707
1999 37,485,876 8,931,579
2000 37,783,385 9,326,674
2001 38,439,552 9,417,385
2002 39,698,655 9,456,789
2003 39,850,585 9,421,262
2004 40,626,325 9,420,008
2005 41,086,682 9,573,657
2006 41,364,318 9,406,721
2007 41,185,161 9,095,556
2008 41,895,842 9,090,325
2009 42,963,437 9,201,507
2010 43,623,577 9,263,463
SOURCE: March CPS, 1968–2010.
Table equivalent for Chart 4. Percentage of Social Security beneficiaries who are veterans, 1968–2010
Year Percent
1968 11.76
1969 11.36
1970 11.08
1971 11.18
1972 11.34
1973 10.93
1974 10.95
1975 11.28
1976 11.61
1977 12.24
1978 12.05
1979 12.10
1980 12.86
1981 13.11
1982 14.35
1983 15.27
1984 16.44
1985 17.28
1986 17.97
1987 19.40
1988 19.77
1989 21.21
1990 21.71
1991 22.89
1992 23.35
1993 23.55
1994 24.06
1995 24.73
1996 25.02
1997 24.41
1998 24.60
1999 23.83
2000 24.68
2001 24.50
2002 23.82
2003 23.64
2004 23.19
2005 23.30
2006 22.74
2007 22.08
2008 21.69
2009 21.42
2010 21.23
SOURCE: March CPS, 1968–2010.
Table equivalent for Chart 5. Percentage of veterans who are women, 2000–2036
Year Percent
2000 6.1
2001 6.3
2002 6.4
2003 6.6
2004 6.8
2005 7.1
2006 7.3
2007 7.5
2008 7.7
2009 7.9
2010 8.1
2011 8.3
2012 8.6
2013 8.8
2014 9.0
2015 9.2
2016 9.5
2017 9.7
2018 10.0
2019 10.3
2020 10.5
2021 10.8
2022 11.1
2023 11.4
2024 11.7
2025 12.0
2026 12.2
2027 12.5
2028 12.8
2029 13.1
2030 13.4
2031 13.7
2032 14.0
2033 14.3
2034 14.6
2035 14.9
2036 15.1
SOURCE: VetPop2007.
Table equivalent for Chart 6. Percentages of veterans who are black or Hispanic, 2000–2036
Year Black Hispanic
2000 9.7 4.9
2001 9.8 4.9
2002 10.0 5.0
2003 10.1 5.1
2004 10.3 5.2
2005 10.5 5.3
2006 10.7 5.4
2007 10.9 5.6
2008 11.1 5.7
2009 11.3 5.8
2010 11.4 5.9
2011 11.6 6.0
2012 11.8 6.1
2013 12.0 6.2
2014 12.1 6.3
2015 12.3 6.4
2016 12.5 6.5
2017 12.7 6.6
2018 12.9 6.8
2019 13.0 6.9
2020 13.2 7.0
2021 13.4 7.1
2022 13.6 7.2
2023 13.7 7.3
2024 13.9 7.4
2025 14.0 7.6
2026 14.2 7.7
2027 14.3 7.8
2028 14.5 7.9
2029 14.6 8.0
2030 14.8 8.1
2031 14.9 8.2
2032 15.0 8.3
2033 15.1 8.4
2034 15.2 8.5
2035 15.3 8.6
2036 15.4 8.7
SOURCE: VetPop2007.
Table equivalent for Chart A1. Average monthly Social Security benefit amountsa for widows, by age in 2010
Age group Widow beneficiaries
All ages 1,156
Age
49 or younger 1,199
50–61 1,036
62–74 1,174
75 or older 1,151
SOURCE: March 2010 CPS.
NOTE: Weighted estimates are based on public-use March 2010 CPS (income year 2009), and are subject to nonsampling error (such as respondent error in reporting characteristics and amount and type of income).
a. Monthly benefits were computed by dividing annual Social Security benefits amounts by 12 (part-year beneficiaries may slightly lower the annual average).