54.6 million
retired workers were receiving Social Security benefits.
The Social Security Administration counted 54,620,000 retired workers in current-payment status on June 30, 2026.
Source: Social Security Administration, June 30, 2026Research reference
U.S. Retirement Statistics: Income, Savings, and Spending
Reliable retirement decisions begin with a clear view of the landscape. This reference brings together current public data on Social Security, retirement accounts, and household spending, with every figure linked to its original source.
These national figures are a starting point for discussion, not a personal recommendation or forecast. Household circumstances, benefits, taxes, health, and priorities differ. The source date beside each statistic matters.
Income
Social Security remains a central part of the retirement picture.
These figures illustrate the program’s reach, while also showing why an individual plan needs to account for the specifics of each household.
$2,084
was the average monthly benefit for retired workers.
This is the average monthly amount due to retired workers in current-payment status on June 30, 2026. It is an average, not an individual benefit estimate.
Source: Social Security Administration, June 30, 202688%
of people age 65 and older were estimated to receive Social Security benefits.
The estimate rises to about 94% among people age 75 and older, showing how central Social Security is to later-life household income.
Source: Social Security Administration, June 30, 2026Savings
Retirement accounts are widely held, but balances vary widely.
Ownership and median balances help provide context, not a benchmark for what any one person should save or spend.
54.3%
of U.S. families held a retirement account in 2022.
The Federal Reserve includes IRAs, Keogh accounts, and qualifying employer plans such as 401(k), 403(b), and thrift savings accounts in this measure.
Source: Federal Reserve, 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances$86,900
was the median retirement-account value among families that held one in 2022.
Median means half of account-holding families had less and half had more. It does not represent every household or a recommended target.
Source: Federal Reserve, 2022 Survey of Consumer FinancesSpending
Retirement planning also depends on what a household needs to support.
Broad spending data can help frame the questions. A personal spending picture gives those questions their proper context.
$60,087
was average annual spending for U.S. consumer units led by someone age 65 or older in 2023.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics measure covers total average annual expenditures, including housing, food, transportation, health care, and other household spending.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2023$8,027
was average annual health care spending for those 65-and-older consumer units in 2023.
This category is one component of household spending, not a prediction of an individual’s future health care costs.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2023Methodology and sources
How to read this page
Each number is reproduced from a named primary source and uses that source’s definitions, population, and reporting date. Statistics are not combined to produce estimates, and no figure is intended as a personal planning target.
We will refresh this reference when key source data changes, while keeping the page address and statistic anchors stable for readers who cite it.
Cite this page
Shrier Associates. “U.S. Retirement Statistics: Income, Savings, and Spending.” Updated October 27, 2026.
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