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The Facts about Women and Retirement

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The Facts about Women and Retirement

Here are the facts:

  • According to the Department of Labor, a woman 65 years old can expect, on average, to live another 20 years, two years longer than a man.
  • Close to 50% percent of first marriages, and an even higher percentage of second marriages, end in divorce.
  • There are currently six million more women 65 and over than men, according to the Census Bureau.
  • The Census Bureau reports that 48% of women 65 and older are widowed or divorced, compared to 26% of men.
  • It’s been estimated that a single woman has at least a 75% chance of outliving her financial assets in retirement.
  • Working women in their 40s and 50s expect to save an average of $200,000 for retirement, about half of what men their age expect to save, according to a financial survey.
  • The poverty rate for all women 65 and older is 11%, but for single women it is about 19%.
  • Single seniors are far more likely to live in poverty than married seniors.
  • In the 65 and older age group, the Census Bureau reports that twice as many women as men live in households that receive food stamps.
  • The Department of Labor reports that only about half of working women age 21 to 64 have ever participated in a retirement plan.
  • Among full-time, year-round workers, women are paid an average (non-adjusted) of about 83% of what men are paid.
  • More than 40% of older women rely on Social Security for most of their income.
  • According to the Census Bureau, as of 2022, 11% of women age 65 or above lived below the poverty line, compared to 9% of men.