Here’s how much Americans rely on Social Security — at all income levels

Sep 2, 2026 7:20 PM · MarketWatch

Every now and then, I am asked how dependent people are on Social Security. That’s actually an important question, given recent proposals for restructuring the program and concerns that the program is simply too big.

The Congressional Research Service recently reported on the importance of Social Security for individuals 65 and older, using data from the Health and Retirement Study, which is a longitudinal, nationally representative survey of the population over age 50 that is conducted every two years through a combination of face-to-face and telephone interviews.

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Original source: MarketWatch