2004 OASDI Trustees Report
2004 OASDI Trustees Report |
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The report's major findings are summarized below.
In 2003
At the end of 2003, 47 million people were receiving benefits: 33 million retired workers and their dependents, 7 million survivors of deceased workers, and 8 million disabled workers and their dependents. During the year an estimated 154 million people had earnings covered by Social Security and paid payroll taxes. Total benefits paid in 2003 were $471 billion. Income was $632 billion, and assets held in special issue U.S. Treasury securities grew to $1.5 trillion.
Short-Range Results
The OASI and DI Trust Funds, individually and combined, are adequately financed over the next 10 years under the intermediate assumptions. The combined assets of the OASI and DI Trust Funds are projected to increase from $1,531 billion at the beginning of 2004, or 306 percent of annual expenditures, to $3,584 billion at the beginning of 2013, or 442 percent of annual expenditures in that year. Combined assets were projected in last year's report to rise to 309 percent of annual expenditures at the beginning of 2004, and 461 percent at the beginning of 2013.
Long-Range Results
Under the intermediate assumptions the combined OASI and DI Trust Funds are projected to become exhausted in 2042. For the 75-year projection period, the actuarial deficit is 1.89 percent of taxable payroll, 0.03 percentage point smaller than in last year's report. The open group unfunded obligation for OASDI over the 75-year period is $3.7 trillion in present value, $0.2 trillion more than the obligation estimated a year ago.
The OASDI annual cost rate is projected to increase from 11.07 percent of taxable payroll in 2004, to 16.83 percent in 2030, and to 19.29 percent in 2078, or to a level that is 5.91 percent of taxable payroll more than the projected income rate for 2078. Expressed in relation to the projected gross domestic product (GDP), OASDI cost is estimated to rise from the current level of 4.3 percent of GDP, to 6.3 percent in 2030, and to 6.6 percent in 2078.
Between about 2010 and 2030, OASDI cost will increase rapidly due to the retirement of the large baby-boom generation. After 2030, increases in life expectancy and relatively low fertility rates will continue to increase Social Security system costs, but more slowly. Annual cost will exceed tax income starting in 2018 at which time the annual gap will be covered with cash from redeeming special obligations of the Treasury, until these assets are exhausted in 2042. Separately, the DI fund is projected to be exhausted in 2029 and the OASI fund in 2044.
Solvency
The combined OASDI Trust Funds are projected to become insolvent (i.e., unable to pay scheduled benefits in full on a timely basis) when assets are exhausted in 2042 under the long-range intermediate assumptions. For the trust funds to remain solvent throughout the 75-year projection period, the combined payroll tax rate could be increased during the period in a manner equivalent to an immediate and permanent increase of 1.89 percentage points, benefits could be reduced during the period in a manner equivalent to an immediate and permanent reduction of 12.6 percent, general revenue transfers equivalent to $3.7 trillion (in present value) could be made during the period, or some combination of approaches could be adopted. Significantly larger changes would be required to maintain solvency beyond 75 years.
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