Immigrants use old-age benefits less frequently because fewer public pensions are available to them, and because of legal status rules, not because of their age

Immigrant share of old-age spending, share of total and over-65 population, share of government jobs, 1994–2023

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Sources: Calculations are based primarily on the Annual Social and Economic Supplements of the US Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey for March 1994–2023; and “National Data: National Income and Product Accounts,” Bureau of Economic Analysis, last revised September 2025. See Appendix for full details.