Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau and analyzed by the AARP Foundation reveal that the poverty rate for seniors climbed for the fifth consecutive year in 2025. This upward movement is unique to the 65-plus cohort; no other age group experienced a comparable increase. The report, which uses a supplemental poverty measure that factors in taxes, government benefits, and out-of-pocket expenses, shows that 15.4% of Americans aged 65 and older lived in poverty last year, with women nearing a 17% rate.
Claire Casey, president of the AARP Foundation, stressed that the trend begins well before retirement. “We are seeing people 50 to 64, by every single measure, in a more precarious position,” she said. One in eight individuals in that age bracket now falls below the poverty line, and many more hover just above it, unable to set aside savings because basic needs – food and housing – dominate their daily concerns.
Gender gap and employment strain among older adults
The gender disparity is stark. Women aged 65 and over are almost 2 percentage points more likely to be impoverished than men, a gap that widens as people age. Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies notes that half of the oldest women who head households and 60% of those who rent are burdened by high housing costs, a factor that compounds the
Even among those who remain employed, the pressure is severe. AARP Foundation’s quarterly surveys this summer found that nearly one-third of respondents said their household ran out of food before they could purchase more, and a similar share lacked the savings to cover a $100 emergency expense – an increase from 28% in the spring. One unnamed man over 65 explained, “I bought less food and used that money to pay the increase in my rent that went up by 33% at the beginning of this year to pay for the renovations taking place.”
Workforce data indicate that older workers are increasingly taking on multiple jobs. The proportion of employed seniors reporting at least one additional paid source rose to almost two-thirds, suggesting a reliance on piecing together income streams to meet basic costs.
Safety-net erosion and policy debates
Social Security remains a crucial buffer, keeping nearly 29 million people out of poverty last year, according to the Census. However, recent policy shifts threaten to weaken other supports. Expanded work requirements for food assistance and Medicaid have already resulted in an estimated five-million drop in SNAP enrollment, as reported by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. While Republican leaders argue these changes curb fraud, critics warn that the added paperwork will deter eligible seniors from receiving aid.
Senate Republicans, represented by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, maintain that their focus is on “lowering costs and making the American Dream more affordable and accessible.” Yet Casey points out that the recent gains in “Those gains were not shared equally,” she remarked, highlighting how rising inflation, gas prices, and geopolitical tensions – such as the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran – have eroded real wages for many older Americans.
For low-income seniors, a seemingly minor setback – a car breakdown or a family caregiving emergency – can trigger a cascade of long-term unemployment and lower-pay jobs. “You’re much more likely to end up in the long-term unemployed, and you’re much more likely to end up in a job that makes less than the one you were in,” Casey warned.
The convergence of higher housing costs, stagnant wages, and shrinking safety-net programs paints a sobering picture for a demographic that is quickly becoming the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population. As the nation ages, the urgency to address these intertwined economic challenges grows.
