Chart assignment
Charts to read and discuss
Read each chart, then answer its questions. Every chart shows its source and date; open it for a table of the numbers and the data to download.
Chart 1 of 1 · Federal budget
When will Social Security's trust funds run out?
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The Trustees' latest projection has Social Security's combined trust funds down to $183 billion at the end of 2033 and running out the year after. Their reserves peaked at $2.91 trillion in 2020. The 2026 report found that once they run out, taxes coming in would still pay about 83% of scheduled benefits unless Congress acts, and that the retirement fund alone runs out in late 2032. Years after 2025 are the Trustees' middle (intermediate) projection, in dollars of each year.
Questions to discuss
- In one sentence of your own, what does this chart show?
- Find the biggest change or difference in the chart. What might explain it?
- Who collected these numbers, and how recent are they? What else would you want to know before drawing a conclusion?
Source: Social Security Administration, 2026 OASDI Trustees Report, Table VI.G2 (combined OASI and DI Trust Funds, intermediate assumptions) (Public domain (U.S. government work)) · Data as of Dec 31, 2025
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