How many people receive social security?

As of 2021, 65 million Americans receive social security benefits every month. That's up 43.6% from 2000 when there were 45.4 million Social security beneficiaries. Interestingly, in the same 20-year span, the total American population has only increased by 17.8%, meaning that the number of Social Security beneficiaries is increasing faster than the American population.