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Key Takeaways
- The top claiming age in the latest Social Security data was 66, though men were more concentrated there than women, and women were slightly more likely to start at 62.
- Retirees who wait may be working longer, drawing from savings, or trying to lock in a larger survivor benefit for a spouse.
- Retirees who claim early may need the income, face health or job limits, or see an early start as the better household move.
Deciding when to claim Social Security can feel like one of retirement’s highest-stakes choices. Start early, and you get income sooner but lock in a smaller monthly check. Wait longer, and your benefit can grow—but only if your health, finances, work plans, and family situation make the delay worth it.
For anyone weighing when to claim—or when a spouse should—it can help to see what other retirees actually do. Social Security Administration (SSA) data offers a real-world look at when retirees start benefits, while the best choice for any one person depends on more than age alone.
When Men and Women Start Claiming Social Security
The most common age to start collecting benefits in 2025 was 66, according to the SSA’s most recent data on retired workers’ claiming age. About 33% of new retired-worker claimants started at that age, while about 22% claimed at 62, the earliest age most people can begin retirement benefits.
The gender differences were modest, but still notable. Men and women both most commonly claimed at 66, though men were more concentrated there: About 34% of men claimed at 66, compared with about 31% of women. Women were slightly more likely than men to claim at 62—about 23%, versus about 22% of men. At the upper end, the two groups were largely the same when claiming: About 8% of each waited until 70 or later.
Full retirement age (FRA) is often described as 67, but that milestone has not fully phased in yet. In the 2025 data, retired workers old enough to reach full retirement age had an FRA between 66 and 66 years, 10 months.
That makes age 66 a rough proxy for claiming at or near full retirement age in this data, though some people in that bucket may have been slightly shy of their exact FRA. In any case, people who claimed at 67 or older were definitely past full retirement age—meaning they waited long enough to increase their monthly benefit.
Overall, the data shows two big claiming clusters: people who started as soon as they could at 62, and a larger group who waited until 66. Nearly half of retired workers (48%) started before age 66, while 52% waited until at least 66. Only 20% claimed at 67 or later, including 8% who waited until 70 or beyond.
Why This Matters
The ages retirees claim Social Security can offer helpful context, but it shouldn’t decide your own timing. Your best move depends on what you need the benefit to do—cover bills now, grow your future check, support a spouse, or balance health and work realities.
Why Some Retirees Wait for a Bigger Check
Waiting to claim Social Security increases your monthly benefit, which is why some retirees delay past full retirement age—or even hold out until they collect the maximum benefit. For each full year you wait beyond full retirement age, Social Security adds 8% to your check, until your benefit maxes out at age 70.
That can make waiting a smart move for people who are still working, have other income to draw from, or don’t need the money for everyday expenses yet. It can also appeal to retirees in good health who expect to live long enough for the higher monthly payments to make up for the years of checks they deferred.
Delaying can be especially useful for married couples when one spouse earned substantially more than the other. A higher benefit can help the couple while both spouses are alive, and it can also increase the survivor benefit available to the lower-earning spouse later.
Still, the math only works if you can afford to wait. Delaying usually requires enough income, savings, or work flexibility to cover the gap before benefits begin. For retirees who can manage that delay, the payoff is a larger Social Security check for the rest of their life.
Tax Planning Note
Delaying benefits can provide a lower-income window for Roth conversions after you stop working. Because those conversions are generally taxable, postponing Social Security income may help soften the tax hit as you shift money into a Roth account.
Why Others Claim as Soon as They Can
Meanwhile, claiming Social Security early means accepting a smaller monthly check. But that trade-off may be worthwhile—or necessary—for some retirees.
Many people claim early because they need the income to cover bills, replace a paycheck, or avoid draining their savings too quickly. Others are pushed into an earlier claim by job loss, health problems, caregiving duties, or the plain fact that working longer isn’t an option.
How Survivor Benefits Work
When one spouse dies, the survivor keeps the larger Social Security benefit—not both checks. That’s why the higher earner’s claiming age can matter for both spouses, especially if the lower earner is likely to outlive the other.
Health status and life expectancy can also change the decision. Someone who doesn’t expect to live long enough for delayed benefits to pay off may reasonably decide that getting checks sooner matters more than maximizing the monthly amount later.
For married couples, the decision can be even more complicated. A lower-earning spouse may claim their own benefit earlier if the household needs income now, especially if they expect to later receive a higher survivor benefit based on the other spouse’s record. Early claiming is not automatically the wrong choice—it depends on how it fits into a bigger financial picture.
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