Retirement Social Security

Here's the Average Social Security Claiming Age of Men and Women (How Do You Compare?)

When do most people claim, and what's the right choice for you?

By Christy Rakoczy Bieber , Edited by Laura Hohenstein

Updated May 13, 2026

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You're allowed to claim Social Security benefits any time between the ages of 62 and 70. However, the age when you claim benefits will have a big impact on the monthly income that Social Security provides to you throughout your retirement.

Let's take a look at the average Social Security claiming age of men and women, as well as some tips on how to decide what age is best for you to start your own retirement checks, so you're able to make a retirement plan that fits your needs.

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This is the average Social Security claiming age of men and women

According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the average claiming age for men is 64.7. For women, that number is 64.6. The average age when both men and women combined claimed Social Security was 65.2 as of 2024. That's the most recent year for which data is available. But the average claiming age has actually been slowly creeping up over time. It was 65 in 2020.

As the Center for Retirement Research points out, the move towards later claims has been ongoing for a while, with the typical retiree in the 2020s now claiming a full three years later than the average retiree started benefits in the mid-1990s.

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A late Social Security claim has a big payoff

In general, it's probably good news that most people claim Social Security at least a little bit later than they did in the past. That's because both average and maximum benefits increase with age. Specifically:

The average benefit at 62 is $1,424, and the maximum is $2,969
The average benefit at 67 is $2,016, and the maximum is $4,152
The average benefit at 70 is $2,275, and the maximum is $5,181

The National Bureau of Economic Research also revealed that more than 90% of current workers aged 45 to 62 should delay their Social Security claim until 70, despite the fact that only 10.2% do. For workers in this age range, the median loss of lifetime discretionary income from a too-early claim is $182,370 in today's dollars.

Delaying could produce as much as a 10.4% increase in typical lifetime spending if those workers chose the optimum claiming age of 70, and for one in four, the lifetime spending gains would be more than 17% versus claiming early.

Why does a delayed Social Security claim give you more money?

Delaying the time when you claim Social Security benefits increases monthly benefits, and potentially lifetime benefits, because a claim before your full retirement age (FRA) results in early filing penalties. These penalties apply monthly and add up to reduce benefits by 6.7% for each of the first three years you claim ahead of the FRA and by an additional 5% for each prior year.

A claim after your FRA results in delayed filing credits. These increase your benefits for each month you wait after FRA until 70. The monthly increases add up to an 8% per year annual benefits boost.

When Social Security was designed, the goal was to equalize lifetime benefits for early and late filers. But since many people now live longer than they did when the penalties and credits were put into place, the odds of getting more lifetime benefits increases when you delay your claim as long as possible.

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Pros and cons of claiming early and late

The NBER data alone provides a pretty compelling reason to claim Social Security at 70, but it's still worth considering both the pros and cons of claiming at different ages.

Pros and cons of claiming at 62

The biggest benefits of claiming Social Security at 62 include not having to worry about breaking even for delayed benefits, potentially being able to retire earlier, and unlocking spousal benefits, which your spouse isn't allowed to claim until you've claimed your retirement benefits.

On the flip side, the biggest disadvantages include reducing your monthly benefit, survivor benefits for your spouse, and the odds of maximizing your lifetime benefits.

Pros and cons of claiming at 70

As a plus, claiming at 70 means maximizing your standard benefit by earning as many delayed retirement credits as possible. You'll also maximize survivor benefits and your odds of getting the most lifetime benefits.

But the biggest disadvantages include either relying on another income source or working until 70 to enable a delayed claim. Spousal benefits also won't be available on your work record until you claim benefits, and you may pass away before you break even for the benefits you delayed.

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How should you decide when to claim benefits?

Deciding when to claim Social Security is a very personal decision, and it depends on factors like your other income sources, whether you're married, how your benefits compare to your spouse's, and your health and the likelihood you'll live long enough to break even if you delay.

One option is to conduct a break-even analysis to guide your choice. To conduct a break-even analysis:

Determine what your benefit would be at each claiming age. Use your my Social Security account to do that.
Calculate the income you pass up if you wait. If your benefit would be $1,400 at 62, and you wait until 70 to claim benefits, you pass up eight years of $1,400 monthly payments or $134,400.
Estimate how much higher your benefit would be if you delay. If your benefit is $2,480 when claimed at 70, you'd collect $1,080 more per month than you would if you'd claimed at 62.
Calculate how long it takes for extra payments to make up for missed benefits. At a rate of $1,080 per month, it would take you around 124 months to break even for missing $134,400 of benefits.

Consider your break-even time relative to your expected life expectancy to see what's best.

Bottom line

As the numbers show, average claiming ages have gotten later for men and women, and that means more people are increasing their monthly (and potentially) lifetime benefits by waiting.

As you make your own retirement plan, make sure you consider how your claiming choice affects the income Social Security offers.

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