A new report by AARP found Americans’ confidence in Social Security is declining, with younger adults more skeptical of the safety net program than older adults.
AARP released its survey in advance of Social Security’s upcoming 90th anniversary, which found that Americans’ overall confidence in Social Security dropped from 43% in 2020 to 36% in 2025, the lowest level since it fell to 35% in 2010.
Younger Americans are even less confident in the program. Only 25% of respondents between the ages of 18 and 49 were confident in Social Security’s future, whereas 48% of those 50 and older expressed confidence. 
It also found retirees are relying more on Social Security than they were two decades ago, with the share reporting they rely substantially on Social Security rising from 51% in 2005 to 65% in 2025. By contrast, the share of retirees who say they don’t rely on Social Security has changed little in that timeframe, rising from 10% to 13%.
AARP’s survey found that Republicans are more confident than Democrats and independents, at 44% versus 32% and 30%, respectively, though it noted that, historically, those confidence levels have fluctuated based on the party controlling the White House.
Additionally, the survey found that about 80% of respondents are concerned about Social Security being available when they need it in retirement.
Among those who said they aren’t confident in Social Security’s future, 31% said they don’t trust the government to keep its promises, and 27% said they think the money is running out.
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“More than 69 million Americans rely on Social Security today, and as America ages, we expect at least 13 million more people to rely on it by 2035,” said AARP CEO Myechia Minter-Jordan. “For 90 years, Social Security has never missed a payment, and Americans should have confidence that it never will.”
The report comes after the Social Security trustees recently released a report finding that Social Security’s main trust funds would be depleted in 2034, at which time benefits would automatically be cut by 19% to match incoming payroll tax receipts.
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After the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which includes provisions limiting the tax liability of seniors through a temporary, enhanced standard deduction, the insolvency date could arrive sooner, according to a new estimate.
The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) projected that OBBBA’s provisions would advance the insolvency date to late 2032, which would leave those reaching full retirement age at the outset of 2033 facing an automatic 24% benefit cut.
