Author: Damjan Milenkovic

Since there’s not much information about gangs, apart from some broad guidelines, the facts and gang violence statistics presented here will surely help you understand more about them.

Having insight into some of the most dangerous parts of our society is always an exciting and intriguing topic.

The lives of those living in gangs are unique and offer an understanding of US history and culture, especially since they have been present in US society for more than 100 years.

Go through our list of facts to find out startling numbers about these groups and individuals.

General Gang Violence Statistics 2020

1. An average of 16.3 gang-related crimes per day were recorded in LA in the first half of 2019.

(Crosstown)

After rapper Nipsey Hussle’s murder in 2019, a truce between gangs in LA was being discussed. Yet, the crime connected to gangs rose to 16.3 per day in the first half of 2019 compared to the same period in the previous year, which was 15 per day. 

2. 2020 statistics on gang members and their use of social media shows that 71% of them actively use one or more social media.

(National Training & Technical Assistance Center)

Gangs are keeping up with the digital revolution going into 2022. 71% of all gang members admit to using social media. Furthermore, another 20% state they even operate a website or a social media page.

Apart from private purposes, they use social media for mobilizing and attracting vulnerable youths. Video posting, bragging, and celebrating the luxury life of a gang are just some methods, among others.

This way, gang violence finds its way in schools and increases the gang membership statistics among minors. 

3. 13% of all homicides in the US are attributed to gangs.

(Justice.Gov)

According to the latest death statistics on gang violence, 13% of all homicides are gang-related. This number goes as far as 40% in some neighboring countries, such as El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, where some US gangs are located. 

4. Gang crimes comprise a whopping 48.9% of all violent crimes.

(NGC)

Gang violence in America statistics never stops surprising us. According to the latest reports, 48.9% of the violent crime was gang-related, 42.9% of property crime was of the same nature, and 39.9% of drug sales, too. 

New gangs and wars between the existing ones were the top factors influencing this high percentage.

5. Data shows that 41.6% of gangs come from large cities.

(NGC)

The ratio statistics assess how stats on gang violence are spread into specific areas and types.

Gangs with the largest membership, which make up 41.6% of the total number of gangs, are located in large cities. Suburban counties have close to 25.8%, and smaller towns 27.1% of the gang population. This leaves rural counties with only 5.5% of the national share of the gang population.

6. As stated in the latest data, around 2,000 homicides a year are gang-related.

(NATIONAL YOUTH GANG SURVEY ANALYSIS)

The FBI data shows that approximately 15,500 homicides annually across the US, around 2,000 are gang-related homicides, are reported to the National Youth Gang Center.

This revealing gang homicide statistics also show that 67% of the gang-related homicides happen in cities with more than 100,000 citizens, while 17% occur in suburban areas. 

7. A decade ago, nearly half of the human trafficking victims (49.1%) had some gang connection.

(National Training & Technical Assistance Center)

A Portland study found that 49.1% of human trafficking victims were connected to a gang one way or another. 96.4% of the victims were female.

As the US Attorney General stated, gangs learned that trafficking people was much cheaper and less risky than smuggling guns or drugs.

The public is less familiar with these crime stats related to gangs, which ought to be known better.

8. Only 5.7% of MS-13 gang members reported they joined for a chance to earn money.

(DoJ)

MS-13 seems to be different from other gangs. Namely, their primary goal is not an economic gain but a demonstration of power over the rival gangs through fear and violence. This fact is behind MS-13’s main drives, which produce gang violence and death statistics. 

A report issued from the Department of Justice finds that most of its members are, in fact, “relatively impoverished.”

9. One of the largest Latino gangs, MS-13, takes “protection money” that amounts to 10% to 40% of business earnings.

(MS13 DoJ)

The latest data shows that MS-13 collects “rent,” commonly known as “protection money,” from local businesses that amount to 10% to 40% of their earnings.

It is important for them to determine the right amount to enrich the gang and not cause a business to go bankrupt. This way, the violence statistics on the gang are low, and the profits high. 

FBI Statistics on Gangs

10. According to the latest FBI data, the number of street gang members is increasing in 49% of jurisdictions.

(FBI)

The FBI claims that 49% of the jurisdictions have an increase in street gang membership; the number of members stayed the same at 43% and decreased only in 8% of the jurisdictions. 

This is one of the most worrying trends in gang-related crime stats, implying that with the enlarged membership, their influence will spread too.

11. The latest FBI surveys show that 26% of the jurisdictions and 44% of the prisons reported that gang members joined extremist groups.

(FBI)

When answering an FBI survey, approximately 26% of the jurisdictions and 44% of the prisons reported that gang members under their supervision were joining extremist groups.

They interpreted it as a mutually beneficial relationship, where extremists use the gangs to spread their doctrine, while the gangs use the extremists to increase their power and possibly their membership.

12. In 2020, the FBI led 173 Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Forces (VGSSTFs).

(FY 2021 DoJ)

The FBI identified street gangs (both local and national) as a top threat to communities and, in 2020, led 173 Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Forces to reduce gang-related violence statistics. 

They also expect a rise in gang violence since urban gangs are expanding to suburban and rural areas where they go in conflict with the existing local ones. 

13. According to the latest data available, the FBI quoted 33,000 gangs and 1.4 million gang members active in the US.

(NGTA – FBI)

The simple gang statistics display some staggering results on the national level. Thus, the FBI released a report noting that there are 1.4 million gang members in more than 33,000 gangs in the US, including street gangs, prison gangs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs. 

Although the data comes from a decade-old report, it is still quite shocking.

14. The FBI dismantled 217 gangs/criminal enterprises in 2019.

(Annual Performance Report FY 2021)

In the 2019 report, the FBI states that they prioritize dismantling and prosecuting violent gangs, and in that year, they successfully destroyed 217 gangs or criminal enterprises. This helped reduce violent crime rates.

Gang Violence Facts

Criminal gangs can include organized crime groups from the Italian Mafia (Cosa Nostra), bike gangs, racist gangs, street gangs, and prison gangs. All of them have their specifications and ways of operating in the US.

15. The data from two decades ago shows that gang members in the US were 50% Hispanic or Latino, 32% African American, 10% white, and 8% others.

(Youth.gov)

According to this decades-long research, most gang members in the US were Hispanic/Latino—50% of all gang members belong to this ethnic group. Then come African Americans with 32%, whites with 10%, and other groups that make up the remaining 8%. 

So, one can expect that gang violence statistics by race would give different results, depending on where you are and what ethnic group gang is dominant there. 

16. Some of the largest gangs in the US include the Latin Kings, 18th Street, MS-13, Bloods, and Crips.

(Boston Herald)

Latin Kings are mainly based in Chicago, while 18th Street and MS-13 are transnational and have their members in the US and some neighboring countries. They are the top three largest Hispanic/Latino gangs in the US.

Black gang violence statistics are certainly higher in LA than anywhere else since the most well-known and oldest gangs, Bloods and Crips, are located there.

17. Classification of gangs shows that there are several gang types in the US.

(Carmichael, Ellis, & Brock PLLC)

Facts about gang violence in the US and its origin can be divided into four different categories: street gangs, organized crime groups, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and prison gangs. 

Crime statistics show that street gangs are involved in local drug trafficking and murder, trying to maintain control of their territories (Bloods, Crips, MS-13, etc.). 

Organized crime groups include different mobs (Italian, Russian, Irish Mafia, etc.) that operate in bigger money schemes and white-collar crime. 

Outlaw motorcycle gangs operate with drugs and weapons and are often involved in violence. (Hell’s Angels, Outlaws, Mongols, etc.)

Lastly, prison gangs operate inside prisons but often stretch out their activities far beyond the bars of their cells (Mexican Mafia, Aryan Brotherhood, Black Guerrilla Family, etc.).

Statistics on Prevention of Gang Violence

18. The 2019 report of the Project Safe Neighborhoods says that the states have 187 target areas in the US designed to cooperate with the local authorities.

(Project Safe Neighborhoods)

From the 2019 report by the organization, Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), we can see 187 target areas across the country in 93 districts. They also state that 41% of the districts have multiple PSN areas.

Additionally, since the reinvigoration of the PSN a couple of years ago, they have aimed to influence and reduce gang statistics by state with successful cooperation with local and federal law enforcement agencies and the prosecutors.

19. The latest data shows that fatal and non-fatal shootings have dropped by 20% in the PSN Detroit area.

(Project Safe Neighborhoods)

The Detroit PSN target area reduced its shootings by 20%, cooperating with the local authorities. Also, violent crime dropped 20.5% in Gary, Indiana. Similar results were seen in Richmond, Virginia, where violent crime was cut by 22%. Other cities that had their crime rates reduced were Lexington, Kentucky, and the City of Jackson, Mississippi. 

The gang violence statistics by cities that PGN has brought forward provide valuable information about the success in crime prevention through cooperation between citizen initiatives and local authorities. 

20. The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) allotted $18,177,172 to Project Safe Neighborhoods for 2020.

(The Bureau of Justice Assistance)

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provided $18,177,172 to Project Safe Neighborhoods in 2020. The districts with the highest amounts were California Central – $918,919, Florida Middle – $548,894, Texas Southern – $523,818, New York Eastern – $489,465, and Illinois Northern – $465,668. 

Looking at these figures, we can assume that these are the areas where gang crime statistics reach their highest peaks.

21. The Bureau of Justice Assistance provided over $17.5 million to Project Safe Neighborhoods in 2021.

(United States DoJ)

The funding’s goal is to support addressing violent crimes threatening the country. Namely, the Western District of North Carolina Fiscal Agent received a $181,000 PSN grant. 

In addition, over $3,700,000 in federal grants were awarded to local law enforcement agencies, Tribal government programs, and non–profit organizations in the Western District.

22. The media strategy was the choice of 76% of Project Safe Neighborhoods target areas to prevent violence in the streets.

(Project Safe Neighborhoods)

While 76% of PSN target areas used media strategy to reduce violent crimes, 73% used community meetings; 71% had police-community trust-building initiatives, while 68% established partnerships with the local prevention and reentry programs. 

None of these exclude each other, and some of the implemented tactics complemented each other in the same target areas.

Youth Gang Statistics 2020

23. The average amount of time the youth remain in a gang is one to two years.

(National Gang Center)

For the majority of youth, joining a gang is not a decision of a lifetime. It is a common misconception that it is impossible to leave a gang. 

One in ten gang members reported involvement in a gang for more than four years.

24. The latest data points out the fact that the prevalence of youth in gangs is around 2%.

(Research Gate)

Researchers estimate that 2% of gang members are juveniles, but they admit that the statistics on how many join and leave gangs are hard to collect. Nevertheless, according to their estimates, around 401,000 young people join gangs in the US, and another 378,000 leave gangs every year.

What is grimmest in youth gang violence statistics is that violence is among the dominant causes of death among youth in the US.

25. 8% of all youth in the US have joined a gang by their twenties.

(National Gang Center) 

The National Gang Center found that 8% of all youth in the US have joined a gang at least once by their twenties. This statistic goes up when urban areas are in question because they have 15% of youth joining a gang at some point during their adolescent and young adult life. 

Gang violence statistics aren’t necessarily increased due to the above fact since many people leave the gangs after some time.

People Also Ask

• Department of Justice Journal of Federal Law and Practice
• FBI
• FY 2021 DoJ
• Annual Performance Report FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan
• Gang Membership Between Ages 5 and 17 Years in the United States
• Crosstown
• Gang-Related Offenses
• Measuring the Extent of Gang Problems
• MS13 In the Americas
• National Gang Center
• National Gang Report — FBI
• National Training & Technical Assistance Center
• National Training & Technical Assistance Center
• NATIONAL YOUTH GANG SURVEY ANALYSIS
• Organized Crime and Gangs | Carmichael, Ellis, & Brock PLLC
• Project Safe Neighborhoods-One Year Progress Report
• The Bureau of Justice Assistance
• United States DoJ
• Violent gangs across the nation – Boston Herald
• Youth.gov

Current hacking statistics prove the significance of hackers’ activities in modern society. Most businesses have exposed data and insufficient cybersecurity measures, putting them at an increased risk of data loss.

Although the cybersecurity sector is quickly expanding and more resources are being used to combat cyberattacks, the industry’s nature still has a long way to go before we can catch up with these threats.

Companies need to engage in cybersecurity training, prevention, and best practices and make them a part of their culture to successfully combat the issue. We’ve gathered the most critical data to offer you a better picture of the current situation.

General Hacking Stats

Every day, hackers create over 300,000 pieces of malware globally. After that, they use a new malware to attack companies.

1. Every 39 seconds, a hacker attack occurs.

(UMSL Daily)

To make things worse, companies identify a breach once in 206 days on average. Although businesses spend a fortune on cybersecurity every year, there’s still a lack of cybersecurity talent across the workforce.

2. Kevin Mitnick is the number one hacker in the world.

(Cobalt, PhishProtection)

Kevin Mitnick has been hacking since he was a child. As a matter of fact, he rose to public prominence in the 1980s by hacking into the North American Defense Command.

Mitnick now manages Mitnick Security Consulting LLC, a computer security consulting firm. In addition, he is a co-owner of KnowBe4, a security awareness training company that sells anti-phishing software.

3. Hacker stats note that only 9.6% of hackers are women.

(Zippia)

At the same time, the percentage of men hackers is substantially higher—72.8%. Regarding demographics, White hackers are the most frequent, with 72.6%. Furthermore, 9.1% are Hispanics or Latino, and the percentage is somewhat lower for Black or African Americans—8.0%. Interestingly, only 7.3% of hackers are Asian.

4. The average age of a computer hacker is 40+.

(Zippia)

That represents more than half (58%) of them. The next most common age group among hackers is 30–40, with 29%. Finally, around 13% of hackers are in their twenties. Another interesting piece of data is that 44% of hackers own a bachelor’s degree.

5. The fastest hackers are Russians.

(Statista)

Based on the latest data, Russian hackers’ average breakout time is around 18 minutes. Hacking data reveals that right after them are North Koreans who access a network in less than 140 minutes.

However, the Chinese aren’t left behind either. Their average breakout time is around four hours.

6. A study notes that about 35% of Americans have had their identity stolen or have been hacked.

(NY Post)

Almost half of them are willing to pay back their hacked information. Believe it or not, stats on the cost of hacking show that the average respondent will pay over $29,332 on the black market for the stolen info.

When asked about what people value most regarding personal information, the main answer is debit card numbers. In fact, Americans would pay $3,968 to retrieve their stolen debit card number. These are truly worrying identity theft statistics.

Find out how to deter identity theft.

7. The average attack cost $4.24 million in 2021.

(iii, Security Magazine)

Recently, the data breach cost has been rising. Hacking statistics find that the average attack cost was somewhat lower in 2020—$3.86 million. All in all, the costs are the highest in the United States. Moreover, based on a report, there were 17% more US company data breaches in the first three quarters of 2021 than in the whole of 2020, rising from 1,108 to 1,291 data breaches.

Alarming Cyber Hacking Statistics

Cyber-related frauds resulted in losses of $101 million in 2020. That was an increase from $83.8 million in 2019.

8. In 2020, California ranked highest in the US regarding the number of cybercrime victims and losses.

(iii)

Furthermore, it had 69,541 cybercrime victims and lost $621.5 million. In addition, the countries that followed California with the highest number of cybercrime victims were Florida, Texas, New York, and Illinois.

9. Computer virus statistics show that there were 5.6 billion malware attacks in 2020. 

(Statista)

Still, that data is optimistic, considering that the number was 9.9 billion in 2019. It was after a record high of 10.5 billion in 2018. Moreover, most malware attacks globally happened in North America in 2020.

Investing in an antivirus software or a full-on protection for your Mac device has never been more important than today.

10. 61% of respondents reported a ransomware attack at some point in the past year.

(Mimecast)

Moreover, ransomware statistics show that percentage was 51% in 2019. As a result, the affected companies witnessed six days of interruption. In addition, it was seven days or even more for 37% of companies. Overall, the increasing effect of hacking, including ransomware attacks, is evident. That’s why ransomware protection is incredibly important.

11. 52% of companies felt obliged to pay the ransom.

(Mimecast)

Fortunately, 66% of them retrieved their lost data. Be that as it may, paying the ransom doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get the data back. For instance, 34% of companies didn’t succeed in getting back their data even though they paid for it.

12. Small businesses are the target of 43% of cyberattacks.

(Small Business Trends)

Small business hacking statistics show that, out of all the attacks in the report, these represent the largest share. The reason behind this is apparent—deficiency of knowledge and resources. In particular, many small businesses aren’t aware of the security risks they might face.

Consequently, attackers take advantage of this vulnerability. Thus, small businesses must become more aware and invest in the best digital security.

13. It is predicted that $10.5 trillion will be spent on cybersecurity worldwide by 2025.

(Cybercrime Magazine, IIBA)

In the United States, cybercrime is the fastest-growing crime, and it’s expanding in scale, skill, and cost. Unfortunately, cybersecurity statistics show that most companies don’t understand the importance of cybersecurity and have ineffective cybersecurity measures. Moreover, only 5% of their folders are suitably protected.

Password Hacking Statistics 

Passwords are easily hacked since most people follow similar patterns. In the last five years, hackers have exposed as many as 555 million stolen passwords on the dark web.

14. A study confirms that passwords can be hacked in less than an hour.

(Security Magazine)

Worse, as computer hardware processing capacity advances, this period is becoming even shorter.

On the positive side, hacking statistics show that passwords of at least 12 characters and lowercase letters can be hacked in a year. Things are looking even better for passwords that have at least 15 characters. In that case, a hacker would need 1,000 years to hack them.

15. 27% of survey respondents have tried to guess the password of someone else.

(Google)

What’s even more unbelievable, 17% of people who have tried to guess someone else’s password have succeeded. Americans’ online data is at risk because of easy-to-guess passwords, making it easier for hackers to access their accounts.

Furthermore, hacking trends reveal that a person can more easily guess the password of someone they know.

16. Compromised passwords make up 80% of hacking-related breaches.

(Last Pass)

More and more companies use password management. In fact, one of the best password management software is 1Password.

However, many companies still struggle to manage passwords and avoid these attacks adequately.

17. 28% of survey respondents try to have a few strong passwords.

(NY Post)

However, they claim not all their passwords are strong. So, people don’t create strong passwords for all their accounts.

Namely, they create stronger passwords for financial accounts than for social media. More specifically, 70% of respondents use complex passwords for their financial accounts.

Social Media Hacking Statistics 

More than 4.14 billion people are actively using social networks and social media hacking is becoming more frequent. In fact, there has been a 13% increase in the last two years.

18. 4% of companies globally witnessed over 100 social media attacks in 2019.

(Statista)

In addition, the survey discloses that 11% faced 51–100 attacks that year, and 16% were the victims of 26–50 attacks. Furthermore, the survey’s hacking graph notes that 19% were attacked 11–25 times, and 33% faced up to 10 attacks that year.

While most companies were the targets of attacks, 14% survived 2019 attack-free.

19. In April 2021, hackers leaked sensitive data of 533 million Facebook users from 106 countries.

(Business Insider)

More specifically, the data included birthdays, phone numbers, full names, Facebook IDs, and sometimes email addresses. In addition, security researchers claim that hackers could commit fraud and impersonate people by using this data in the future.

20. According to Twitter, a massive cyberattack on celebrity accounts targeted 130 accounts in July 2020.

(BBC)

Hacking facts confirm that many Bitcoin-related Twitter accounts tweeted a promise to double any received Bitcoin as a way of giving back to the community. Moreover, some accounts involved Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Barack Obama, and Kanye West.

Twitter rushed to stop the attack by temporarily banning all verified users from tweeting. Yet, there was concern that the hack may not be over if the attackers copied and still had access to the private Direct Messages of the accounts they gained control of.

Conclusion

Hackers want your personal and financial information. They are probing platforms every minute of every day. The protections you put in place a few years ago and haven’t updated are worthless.

Computer hacking statistics disclose that millions of new hacking techniques emerge every year. So, change your passwords frequently, use a password manager to keep them secure, and install antivirus software.

Whether you want to protect your business or your family, you need to line up the defense yourself. Trends show worrying data for this year, so take steps to protect your data and information before it’s too late and stay safe in 2022.

People Also Ask

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Protecting people in their workplace is important, and that’s why workplace safety statistics are crucial. Knowing the latest statistics and ensuring that employees are safe should be a top priority for every company.

For example, which are some spheres where people suffer from work injuries?

How many people die from a work-related injury daily, monthly, or yearly?

Worker Safety Statistics

How common is it for a workplace injury to happen? Are companies doing enough to provide their employees with enough protection in their workplace? What are some of the industries where people suffer most from workplace injuries? How many deaths occur in a year due to a workplace injury? We can gain greater insight into these numbers with the following workplace safety facts.

1. There were 2.7 million non-fatal work injuries in 2020.

(BLS)

Workplace safety facts from 2020 suggest that private industry employers reported 2.7 million non-fatal work injuries. The incidence rate of total recordable cases (TRC) in the private industry was 2.7 cases per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers. 

2. Health care had the highest 2020 incidence rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses (5.5 per 100 full-time workers).

(BLS)

It is not surprising that nurses and people who work in the medical field are one of the most affected when it comes to workplace injuries. 

Work-related injuries statistics demonstrate that in 2020, there were 806,200 private industry injury and illness cases in the health care and social assistance sector. Moreover, over half ended in at least one day away from work. 

3. Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting had the second-highest incidence rate per 100 full-time workers in 2020.

(BLS)

The OSHA recordable incident rate by industry suggests that this industry had an incidence rate of 4.6 per 100 full-time workers. However, when looking at the number of cases by industry, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting took the 11th position.

Moreover, transportation and warehousing came in third place of industries with most work-related injuries, with a rate of 4.0 per 100 full-time workers.

4. The industry with the lowest incidence rate per 100 full-time workers in 2020 was finance and insurance.

(BLS)

The latest work injury statistics show that this industry had a nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses incidence rate of 0.3 per 100 full-time workers. The situation was similar in 2019 when the rate was 0.5 — again representing the lowest one among the industries. 

5. The number of preventable work-related deaths in 2019 was 4,572.

(NSC)

The most recent workplace safety statistics suggest that in 2019 the number of preventable work-related deaths rose 2% compared to that of the previous year. In addition, the number of preventable work injuries which needed a medical consult was over 4.6 million.

6. In 2020, there were approximately 174,100 injuries in construction.

(BLS)

Statistics about different professions provide us with a better understanding of which professions may be less safe than others. In comparison, construction accident statistics indicate that in 2019, there were 200,100 injuries in construction.

7. Most non-fatal injuries are due to falls, slips, or trips.

(MarcheseComp)

Workplace safety stats suggest that most people get injured in the workplace because of falls, slips, or trips. Fall statistics imply that these can happen for several reasons: wet surfaces, poor lighting, icy weather, and more.

The second leading cause of non-fatal injuries is being struck by or caught in moving machinery. These types of accidents are more common in factories, the farming industry, as well as construction.

Workplace Death Statistics in USA 

8. 4,764 fatal work-related injuries were recorded in 2020.

(BLS)

This number means that an employee died every 111 minutes from a work-related injury in 2020. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries suggests that the statistics for 2020 show a decrease in numbers compared to 2019.

Moreover, the 2020 workplace death statistics show the lowest number since 2013.

9. Men were affected much more than women.

(BLS)

According to recent facts, men were 11 times more likely to suffer a fatal work-related injury than women. Only 387 women were victims of such injuries, while these safety in the workplace facts show that the number for men was a whopping 4,377 in 2020.

The fact that men suffer more and these shockingly high numbers come at a time and in a period when the stride towards balancing the number of men and women in the workplace is more significant than ever before. 

10. Transportation accidents were the biggest cause of workplace injuries in 2020.

(BLS)

The latest workplace homicide statistics suggest that the highest number of employees suffered in transportation accidents, a total of 1,778, in 2020. Out of all transportation accidents, the high numbers indicate that most fatalities happened in roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles. 

According to the latest available OSHA safety statistics, the number of workplace violence victims or other inflicted injuries by persons or animals was 705 in 2020. These include cases such as suicides and homicides. Suicide statistics show that police officers, firefighters, and veterans are among those who often suffered trauma during work and resort to suicide.

About 71 people were victims of fires or explosions in the workplace, while 805 died because of a fall, slip, or trip. Reasons such as exposure to harmful substances or environments and contact with objects and equipment resulted in 672 and 716 deaths, respectively.

11. People belonging to the age group, 55-64 years old, suffered the most.

(BLS)

Diving deeper into the data, we can see that not all age groups were equally affected by a fatal workplace injury. For example, some workplace accident statistics demonstrate that people between 55 and 64 years of age were fatally hurt in 1,051 cases in 2020. 

Following this, ranked second is the age group 45-54, out of which 954 people were victims of a fatal work-related injury.

12. White people accounted for 60% of people affected by a workplace injury.

(BLS)

According to the latest data available on workplace death statistics, white (non-Hispanic) people accounted for 60% (2,898) of fatal workplace injuries. This number is followed by Hispanic people. The newest stats suggest that Hispanic people made up 22.5% of fatal workplace injuries.

African-American workers, Asian workers, other races or the ones not reported, American Indian workers, and Alaskan Native workers, were less affected than the previously mentioned groups. Least affected by a fatal workplace injury were people of multiple races and workers who are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Highlanders.

13. Transportation and material moving occupations accounted for almost 27% of all fatal workplace injuries.

(BLS)

Taking a closer look at the statistics for workplace deaths by occupation, we can conclude that people working in transportation and material moving occupations were affected in the most significant numbers. 

Similarly, people working in construction and extraction occupations came second on this list of fatal workplace injuries. 

Workplace Injury Statistics by State

The following part will explore the numbers of workplace injuries by the state as represented through incidence rates. Incident rates constitute the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers using 200,000 hours as the equivalent. Next, we’ll take a closer look at which states have the highest rates, as well as which states have the lowest rates. 

14. Vermont leads with the biggest incidence rates.

(NSC)

Workplace safety facts suggest that Vermont is the leading state when it comes to high incidence rates.

Vermont was the only state that had incidence rates above 4. The total number of recordable cases for Vermont that the latest data shows is 4.7. The DART number includes cases involving days away from work and cases involving days of job transfer or restriction, accounting for an incidence rate of 2.3.

15. Washington has incidence rates of 4.

(NSC)

According to the latest occupational injury statistics, Washington is among the states with the highest incident rates. It comes second with incidence rates of 4. Cases involving days away from work have an incidence rate of 1. Meanwhile, cases involving days of job transfer or restriction have an incidence rate of 1.3.

16. Louisiana is among the states with the lowest incidence rates.

(NSC)

Looking more at the job injuries statistics by state, we can note that the District of Columbia and Louisiana have the lowest incidence rates. The number of total recordable cases was measured at an incidence rate of 1.7 for the District of Columbia and 1.8 for Louisiana. The incidence rate for DART cases was measured at 0.8 for both states. 

Measuring close to Louisiana and the District of Columbia are also Texas (2), New York (2.2), Arkansas (2.2). 

Workers Compensation Statistics

17. The most costly injuries were those that resulted from motor vehicle accidents.

(NSC)

According to the latest data available, accidents that involved a motor vehicle were the most costly. The compensation for these averaged a cost of $78,466 per worker compensation claim. This number is almost twice the average ($41,003). Out of the total spent on motor-vehicle accident compensations, more than half was spent on medical bills, while the rest was spent on indemnity.

Workers compensation statistics show three more types of injuries that resulted in above-average costs: burns, falls or slips, and instances where employees were caught or compressed by equipment. 

Over half of the compensation was spent on medical bills and the rest on indemnity costs. Of all workplace injuries, scrapes and punches were the least costly.

18. According to workers comp stats from 2019, the total work injury cost was around $171 billion.

(NSC)

Of that sum, administrative expenses totaled $59.7 billion, wage and productivity losses — $53.9 billion, and medical expenses — $35.5 billion. 

Moreover, the sum mentioned above also covers $13.3 billion of employers’ uninsured costs, $5 billion of damage to motor vehicles in work-related injuries, and $3.7 billion of fire losses. The cost per worker that year was $1,100. 

19. Amputation resulted in high compensation.

(NSC)

Recent data showing workplace accident statistics point out that amputation is the most costly work injury. On average, more than $100,000 per claim was the amount that victims of workplace amputation received. The second most expensive injury, according to its nature, was a fracture, crash, or dislocation. Victims of these received almost $50,000 less than the amount received for amputation.

20. Most costly compensation claims resulted from injuries to the head.

(NSC)

Latest workers compensation claims statistics show that the most costly lost-time workers compensation claims by part of the body are those involving the head. Injuries to the head or the central nervous system resulted in an average of $92,439 per claim. Nearly two-thirds of the sum went on medical bills.

Injuries to multiple body parts averaged a cost of $68,749 per claim, as the most recent info suggests. In cases when the neck was hurt, the average cost per claim was $61,510. Moreover, OSHA accidents statistics show that the other injuries that resulted in above-average costs were injuries to the hip, thighs, or pelvis, injuries to the leg, arm, or shoulders, and injuries to the chest or other organs. These statistics give us great insight into which body parts result in a compensation claim, and which are the most costly and the least expensive.

Workplace safety statistics – The bottom line

A working environment is a place where people usually spend eight hours a day. That is why all of these stats are of great importance for companies and employees and future employees. In a safe working environment, people tend to be more relaxed, efficient, and productive. 

All companies should strive to make the workplace environment a safe space, considering all its benefits. Not only should the companies try to ensure safety, but governments should always push for better control measures. In addition, employers should ensure safety by informing themselves about these workplace safety stats, while employees should always uphold them. For example, if you work at a dangerous job where you might need a weapon to protect yourself, you can look at the best handgun safes to buy in 2022 to ensure that your weapon is stashed safely. If you are interested in non-lethal protection, choosing the best stun gun would be a good solution.

Additionally, if you want more information on this subject, you can check out this guide on how to find the best gun safe. Finally, you can read the pros and cons of all of the safes and make the right choice.

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It seems like in the last year and a half, we have only talked about two subjects—how to stop the worldwide pandemics and the COVID-19 vaccine safety statistics. It took only a year to find out what seems to be the only solution for this rising problem. 

With the question of COVID-19 vaccines becoming more popular, other questions about vaccines in general arise. Are they good or bad for human health? Have they brought more welfare or failure? 

Stay with us and educate yourself on the burning subject of vaccines. 

Disease Rates Before and After Vaccination 

First of all, let’s explain how vaccines work. They introduce the weakened or killed form of the pathogen into the person’s body. Since the dose is small, the human organism doesn’t strain while fighting the pathogen. This way, the body gains immunity to the particular pathogen. 

Another significant fact—vaccination and immunization are different terms. Immunization happens in the organism after taking a vaccine. To summarize, it is a process during which the organism becomes immune to a particular disease. 

To add to that, CDC vaccine statistics state that the US currently has the ‘safest vaccine supply in its history.’ 

1. Smallpox is the first human disease eradicated, thanks to vaccines.

(Our World in Data)

It took almost 200 years between the invention of the smallpox vaccine and the eradication of the disease. Edward Jenner invented the vaccine in 1796. However, the last recorded case of smallpox occurred in 1977 in Somalia. The World Health Organisation declared it officially eradicated in 1980. 

On the other hand, Rinderpest is the only eradicated animal disease so far. It was declared so in 2011.

2. The flu vaccine reduces the risk of getting the flu by 40% to 60%. 

(Single Care)

As flu vaccine effectiveness statistics from 2020 show, the vaccine reduces the risk of getting the disease by 40% to 60%. At the same time, WHO (World Health Organisation) suggests that immunization saves two to three million lives annually. 

3. In 2020, we broke the record by creating several COVID vaccines.

(Our World in Data)

Earlier in history, vaccine statistics show that it took humankind years to create an effective vaccine. For example, measles appeared in 1953, and the vaccine was licensed ten years later, in 1963. To add to that, this was the shortest period in history to create a vaccine for pandemics. 

Still, when it comes to eradicating certain diseases, other factors influence it besides the success rate of vaccines. Let’s stick with measles as an example. In the ten years since the appearance of the vaccine, living conditions and general nutrition have improved a lot. Also, medical science made significant advancements. 

4. As estimated, vaccines prevent 2-3 million deaths annually. 

(Our World in Data)

Judging by the World Health Organisation, vaccination prevents two to three million deaths every year, as vaccine safety statistics report. Still, we can never know the exact benefits of immunization since it is impossible to calculate them. Nonetheless, positive effects are easy to notice. For example, smallpox was once extremely deadly and widespread. Today, the disease is eradicated worldwide. 

On the other hand, only 7% of the children in developing countries got full immunization (all the recommended vaccine shots). The statistics refer to the 73 poorest countries.

Vaccine Side Effects Statistics 

It is hard to associate all the side effects from different vaccines into one united statistic. Still, we’ve managed to compare them to one another and extract the most common side effects of all vaccines. 

5. 19% of children had side effects to varicella and zoster vaccines.

(Single Care)

Almost a quarter of the children who received varicella (commonly known as chickenpox) and zoster (shingles) vaccines had local injection site reactions, as vaccination statistics indicate. The same goes for 24% of adults and adolescents. 

6. Less than one in a million people show severe allergic reactions to the MMR.

(Single Care)

Side-effects usually happen because there are specific allergens in every vaccine. Still, only a small number of allergic reactions are spotted regarding MMR vaccines. The same goes for DTaP. Only one person in a million showed severe allergic reactions, judging by vaccine safety research.

Of course, other local and temporary reactions are natural and expected. For example, redness, pain, rash, fever, and swelling often occur. Still, anyone with more severe reactions should receive professional medical help as soon as possible. 

7. 45% of Americans doubt vaccine safety.

(Single Care)

Almost half of US citizens doubt vaccine safety, as 2019 research indicated. This explains the high percentage of unvaccinated people in the US when it comes to certain diseases and infections. The most common sources for information on vaccine defects are online articles (somewhat expected), information from doctors and other medical experts, and general distrust in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Vaccine Death Rates 

It is hard to determine how many deaths are caused by the immunization since many side effects don’t appear right after the vaccination. Still, some tendencies can be transformed into statistics. 

8. Around one in a million people die due to vaccination.

(Single Care)

We will take a step back from this particular stat, just for one reason (we’ve already mentioned it)—it is impossible to determine how many deaths occur strictly and expressly due to vaccination. For example, a vaccine safety study suggested that one in a million vaccinations against chickenpox resulted in death. 

9. More than 1.5 million people die every year because they aren’t vaccinated. 

(Single Care)

The world loses 1.5 million people every year because they weren’t vaccinated. In any case, if we compare the number of lives immunization has saved to the number of deaths, it is clear that vaccines have been beneficial for human health. 

Childhood Vaccination Statistics 

All facts aside, we think we would agree that our children’s safety comes first, and this is the reason why most US citizens consider vaccinating kids essential. 

10. More than 9 in 10 people believe that vaccinating children is essential. 

(Our World in Data, WHO)

Covering children with vaccines is now relatively high everywhere in the world. Also, 92% of people worldwide believe that immunization by vaccines is essential for children. Still, the numbers should get even higher. For example, facts about vaccines suggest that in 2020, around 113 million infants (83%) globally received three doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) vaccine

Additionally, the stats show that the rich countries have a rate higher than 90%, while undeveloped countries go even below 50%. It is interesting that worldwide, people believe that fewer children are vaccinated than that number in reality. 

11. Pneumonia can be eradicated by vaccines.

(Our World in Data)

Pneumonia is the leading cause of death among children. So, a vaccine for pneumonia exists, but its coverage is still low. The WHO started recommending this vaccine in 2007, but children often don’t receive the shot throughout the world, as statistics about vaccinations announce. India is the worst – only 44% of one-year-olds were vaccinated in 2019. Nigeria follows, with only 58% of vaccinated babies. These are also the countries that have the highest rates of childhood deaths from pneumonia. 

Additionally, 80% efficacy was shown in reducing invasive pneumococcal diseases among children who were vaccinated. There’s been a three-fold decrease in child mortality in the last three decades because of pneumonia, thanks to vaccination. 

HPV Vaccine Statistics

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common infection that is transmitted sexually in the US. Still, statistics indicate that a vaccine can be of great assistance in repressing it. 

12. 85% of children receive the first shot of the HPV vaccine. 

(Our World in Data)

Still, for this particular vaccine, the WHO advises people to get all three shots. Unfortunately, only 64% get the second dose, as child vaccine statistics have shown. In conclusion, the numbers are rather dismal regarding HPV vaccine stats. 

13. Pregnant women shouldn’t get the HPV vaccine. 

(CDC)

This doesn’t come off as a surprise since most vaccines aren’t recommended to pregnant women. In addition, people who have had allergic reactions to previous doses of the same vaccine shouldn’t take another shot, either. Persons with severe or possibly life-threatening allergies shouldn’t get vaccinated. 

MMR Vaccine Statistics 

First of all, many people don’t know what the acronym ‘MMR’ stands for and what the vaccine eliminates. It stands for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Diseases. 

Measles causes fever, rash, runny nose, possibly ear infections, diarrhea, even brain damage, and death. 

CDC states that Mumps also causes fever, headaches, tiredness, loss of appetite while possibly affecting reproductive organs, even brain function. 

Rubella causes fever as well, besides sore throat, itchy eyes, headache, etc. Also, vaccine risk statistics affirm that this vaccine is hazardous to pregnant women since it may cause miscarriage. 

14. 91% of US children received MMR.

(Single Care)

Almost all US children 19 to 35 months old received MMR. In addition, 70% of US children received all the seven recommended vaccine shots for this particular age group. 

15. 1 in 3 000 or 4 000 children have febrile seizures after MMR vaccination. 

(CDC)

Vaccination statistics have shown that one in every 3 000 or 4 000 children younger than seven will have a febrile seizure in 6 to 14 days after receiving the MMR shot. Besides that, adverse effects include joint pain and temporary arthritis. These side effects are more common among adults than children and women than men. 

Contrary to the general belief, CDC states that there isn’t a link between MMR shots and the rise in autism among children. 

16. 1 in 40 000 children gets ITP disorder after MMR vaccination. 

(CDC)

ITP disorder (Immune thrombocytopenic purpura) decreases the body’s ability to stop bleeding. It can occur after the MMR shot or after natural measles infection. Still, vaccine safety facts confirm that it is pretty rare and usually non-life-threatening. Particular medications and blood transfusions usually solve it. Also, the risk of getting ITP disorder is the highest in the first six weeks after the vaccination. 

17. Pregnant women shouldn’t receive MMR. 

(CDC)

Besides pregnant women, experts advise that persons with a weakened immune system (or those who have a history of hereditary immune system problems in their family) shouldn’t get MMR. In addition, people with severe allergies, a history of seizures, tuberculosis, conditions that make them bruise or bleed easily. Of course, people who are allergic to any substance in the vaccine, shouldn’t take the MMR shot, vaccination safety statistics declare. The same goes for people who took other vaccine shots in the last 30 days. 

Conclusion

These days, it seems like humanity has turned into experts regarding vaccination and immunization in general. Still, we mustn’t stay blind and disregard facts that science proved correct. One of those truths is that, even though vaccines can cause side effects and even possible deaths, a much larger number of lives is saved thanks to them. 

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It’s inevitable for drivers to make mistakes on the road for various reasons. Car accident statistics show us that these mistakes, however unintentional, cost lives every minute of every day. 

Every year the lives of roughly 1.35 million people are erased because of road traffic crashes. Between 20 and 50 million more people suffer non-fatal injuries, with many resulting in a permanent disability. 

Accidents may be mistakes, but many can also be prevented. Regulations on drunk and reckless driving are key points of intervention. 

Car Accident Deaths Per Year

1. Globally, there are about 1.3 million traffic deaths every year.

(WHO)

With almost 3,400 deaths per day, half of those who lose their lives in road accidents are pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Almost three times more men than women die in road crashes. 

2. There were 38,680 motor vehicle fatalities on American roads in 2020.

(NHTSA)

According to automobile accident stats, that equated to a 7.2% increase from 2019, when there were 36,096 fatalities. As for vehicle miles traveled, the number increased by 13.2%, or 430.2 billion miles, in 2020. 

3. There were more traffic fatalities in the US in 2020 despite the pandemic. 

(USA Today)

The lockdown kept many off the roads, but this didn’t prevent drivers from speeding. Car accident statistics from the National Safety Council confirmed that over 42,000 people died in car crashes in 2020. That’s an 8% increase compared to the year before. 

4. Speeding-related crashes increased by 11% in 2020 compared to 2019.

(NHTSA)

Speeding includes instances in which the driver went too fast for conditions, was racing, or exceeded the speed limit. 

Speeding statistics show that in 2020, there was an increase in the average speed, with extreme speed becoming more frequent and fewer people involved in crashes wearing seatbelts.

5. There were 18,800 road deaths in the EU in 2020, as per automobile deaths per year stats.

(European Commission)

That represented a 17% drop, or 4,000 fewer deaths, from 2019. Overall, given that the world average is 180 road deaths per one million residents, and the EU has only 42 road deaths per one million residents, it is the continent with the safest roads globally.

6. Sweden and Norway registered the lowest traffic death rate in the EU in 2020.

(European Commission)

The countries registered 18 deaths per one million citizens each. On the flip side, Romania had the highest rate with 85 road deaths per one million residents, Latvia registered a rate of 74 per million, and Bulgaria reported 67 deaths per million inhabitants.

Road Safety Facts

7. The lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle accident are one in 106.

(Insurance Information Institute)

Pedestrians have the highest odds of dying in vehicle crashes with a rate of one in 541, while motorcycle riders have the lowest odds with one in 890. Car passengers have a one in 608 chance of losing their lives in a crash.

8. The odds of dying in a road accident depend on where you live.

(WHO)

The chances of dying in a car crash are the highest in Africa, which registers 24.1 traffic fatalities per 100,000 people. The Eastern Mediterranean region doesn’t fall far behind, with 21.3 deaths per 100,000 residents. Europe, alternatively, has the lowest rate, with 10.3 deaths per 100,000 people. 

9. The primary cause of road accidents and fatalities is human error. 

(The Balance)

Careless drivers cause more accidents than medical conditions or mechanical issues each year. Distracted driving is the number one reason for motor accidents. Traffic safety facts indicate that cell phones are the most common distraction. Various other things can account for distraction-related accidents such as children, eating, or putting on makeup. 

Driving under the influence is the second major problem, with many drivers causing accidents due to alcohol or drug use. 

10. Most fatal vehicle accidents in the EU happen in rural areas. 

(European Commission)

Driving accident statistics show that 54% of road accident deaths in the EU happen on rural roads. Urban areas account for 38% of fatalities. By comparison, only 8% of deaths occur on motorways. 

11. The European Union wants to reduce traffic deaths to zero by 2050.

(European Commission)

The target for the next decade is to reduce traffic-related fatalities by 50%. The European Commission is making around $480 million available for safer, greener, and smarter road infrastructure. 

12. Approximately 6,000 pedestrians die in car crashes.

(CDC)

Pedestrian safety statistics show that one pedestrian dies every 88 minutes as a result of a motor vehicle crash, while as many as 137,000 pedestrians have injuries that require medical attention. Most deaths occur in urban areas and usually at night. Nearly half of the deaths (47%) involve alcohol for the driver or the pedestrian. 

13. A hit-and-run accident occurs in the US every minute.

(AAA)

Studies show that an estimated 682,000 hit-and-run accidents occur every year, resulting in about 2,000 deaths. Over the years, these incidents have increased by over 7%. A majority of 65% of people who die in hit-and-run incidents are pedestrians or cyclists. 

Car Accident Statistics by Age

14. Most people killed in motor vehicle crashes are between 15 and 64 years old.

(Injury Facts/NSC)

Death rates per 100,000 US residents have decreased by 20% among children aged 5–14 over the past ten years, while the rate among 15 to 24-year-olds fell by 16%. By contrast, the death rate among 25 to 44-year-olds has increased by 7%, and for 45 to 64-year-olds, it dropped by 11%. For the 65+ group, the rate has risen by 8%.

15. Over 3,000 people die in crashes involving teen drivers. 

(NHTSA)

The most recent teen car accident statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that about 237 distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes are teens. Distraction is the cause of 8% of the total number of road accidents involving teen drivers, and 7% of people who die in distraction-related accidents are teens.

16. A total of 2,375 teenagers aged 13 to 19 died in car crashes in 2019.

(IIHS)

Yearly car crash statistics show that the number of teen deaths from car crashes has decreased by 73% compared to 1975 and about 5% compared to 2018. The majority, 66%, of deaths occur in male teens.

17. There are over 45 million licensed drivers aged 65+ in the US.

(CDC)

Driving keeps the elderly active and independent, but it also comes with a higher risk of dying in a car accident. Approximately 7,700 older adults die in traffic crashes, and another 250,000 go to the Emergency Room for injuries. Elderly car accident statistics show that older drivers, particularly those over 75, have higher crash death rates than middle-aged drivers. 

18. Florida often has the highest number of traffic fatalities in the 65+ age group. 

(Probinsky & Cole)

Although most crashes occur at night, 74% of deaths in car crashes involving older adults happen during the day. In 2020, 70% of traffic accidents caused by people aged 65+ occurred on weekdays, and 67% also involved other vehicles. Only 8% of older drivers involved in fatal crashes had blood alcohol levels of 0.08 or higher. 

Car Crash Statistics by Vehicle Type

19. About 4,900 people die in crashes involving large trucks each year.

(IIHS)

While almost 5,000 die in large truck crashes each year, another 151,000 people are injured. From the total number of fatalities, 885 are truck passengers, and the remaining 3,525 deaths are passengers of another vehicle. About 39,000 truck passengers, 108,000 passengers in other vehicles, and 3,000 pedestrians were injured. 

20. Around 12,700 car passengers die in traffic accidents each year. 

(Statista)

Truck vs. car accident statistics show that passenger cars account for most deaths by vehicle type. By comparison, around 9,900 occupants of light trucks die on US roads, and another 885 passengers of large trucks are killed every year. Motorcycles are the third most deadly vehicle type, causing nearly 5,000 fatalities. 

21. About 5,000 motorcyclists lose their lives in accidents. 

(NHTSA)

The most recent NHTSA accident statistics show that in addition to the number of deaths, an estimate of 82,000 more motorcycle riders were injured. A concerning 28% of motorcyclists drive without a license. Statistics also show that up to 25% of motorcycle riders drive after drinking, 4% more than those who drive passenger cars. 

22. Infinity Q50 is the car model with the highest accident percentage.

(Insurify)

Car accident statistics show that the US average of drivers with an at-fault accident is 17.81%. This study also indicated that some car models exceed this average, even though they are rated as “good” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The deadliest car model is the Infinity Q50, with 26.25% of drivers with an at-fault incident on their record. The Subaru Crosstrek reported 25.88% of at-fault drivers, and the Subaru WRX reported 25.82%.

Car Accident Facts: The Bottom Line

The appearance of motor vehicles of all kinds made social and economic mobility between countries possible, contributing significantly to the contemporary world’s way of functioning. Yet, every year traffic results in fatal victims and impairing injuries which is why many people decide to file a lawsuit with the help of a car accident lawyer.

Road traffic injuries cause severe economic hardships to individuals, their families, and countries as a whole. Motor vehicle crashes are a pressing global public health concern, the majority of which are preventable.

Raising awareness and creating stricter traffic regulations to reduce distracted and drunk driving is a primary intervention. Adding bike lanes and protected pedestrian walkways are further prevention methods that have been shown to reduce traffic-related fatalities. 

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The official Social Security Administration website states that the number of reports on scams and fraudulent social security activities, in general, is increasing. Furthermore, a large number of social security abuses are not purposeful. 

If you’re worried about your data and you’re not sure how to protect yourself, don’t panic! Our article on 20+ alarming social security abuse statistics to watch out for will tell you everything you need to know on this topic. We’ll also make sure to cover the most common ways people get scammed as well as frequent errors in benefit claims so you can learn how to avoid scams and keep your personal info safe.

About Social Security

According to the official SSA data, almost 70 million Americans receive benefits from social security programs every year. Around 55% of them are women. Moreover, more than 5 million U.S. citizens started receiving social security benefits in 2020. 

But, what is the social security cost per year? Social Security takes up around 23% of the budget. Its programs do not only provide benefits for retirees. The Administration has various plans for people with disabilities, survivors, and those in need, and it’s considered one of the most successful anti-poverty programs. 

The average monthly social security check is a bit over $1,500. However, the actual amount you will receive depends on various factors. For instance, if you had a higher income during your employment years, you will likely receive larger checks. In addition, the age at which you start receiving benefits is also an important factor. Thankfully, those who want to know how much they will eventually receive can easily find everything they need to know online or call the SSA.

Social Security Abuse statistics: Fraud and Scams

When talking about Social Security abuse, we need to differentiate two main types of fraud. The first one is when someone obtains certain assets by misrepresenting themselves and the facts to receive benefits. Some common examples are false statements for social security administration data when filing claims, bribing Social Security workers, concealing specific facts or events such as failing to notify the agency of a beneficiary’s death to continue receiving its checks. Furthermore, any kind of misuse of benefits by a beneficiary is considered fraud.

On the other hand, social security beneficiaries can be victims of various frauds and scams. Impersonation of Social Security employees on calls, texts, and emails is a recurrent way beneficiaries get scammed. Other ways to commit social security fraud are buying and selling Social Security cards, filling under somebody else’s Social Security number, and misusing grant funds.

1. The median loss of social security scams is $1.500 per victim.

(Investopedia)

Though average social security check by state varies, retirees, for example, usually get less than $1,500 a month. Thus, they would be losing their whole month’s check if they become a victim of a scam!

2. Americans lost $226 million to email scams in 2019.

(Investopedia)

Social Security stats from the Federal Trade Commission show that around 92,000 people reported an email scam in 2019. The most common form of an email scam is phishing. Phishing is identity theft where the scammer creates a fraudulent email, text, or a whole website to scam the victim by asking for sensitive data.

Find out how to deter identity theft.

As many younger people know about this threat, the largest number of social security email scams target elders. If this happens to you, you should file a police report for identity theft.

3. At least $96 million is lost in the United States in 3 months due to social security imposter scams.

(Investopedia)

To put it simply, an imposter scam is when someone reaches out to you pretending they’re someone they’re not and asks you for money or your data. As social security imposter scams are pretty frequent, the losses are extremely high. 

4. Over 113,000 imposter scam reports were filed in the third quarter of 2020.

(Investopedia)

Social security fraud statistics do not include the number of unreported cases. The Federal Trade Commission claims that a large number of scams go unreported. The main reason for that is the embarrassment victims feel after getting scammed.

Welfare Fraud Stats

During his presidency, Donald Trump warned about the growing amount of welfare fraud. But, what do the official numbers show? Is welfare fraud that common?

According to the official stats, almost 60 million people are monthly welfare recipients in America. When it comes to the demographics of welfare recipients, people under 18 constitute around 41% of the total number of recipients. Seniors who are 65 years old or older make up approximately 12% of the population on welfare.

5. Improper welfare payments make up almost 16% of all federal welfare payments.

(Federal Safety Net)

This percentage was reported by the Office of Management and Budget, the General Accounting Office (GAO), and was found in the Inspector General’s reports. In 2020, the cost of welfare fraud, and improper welfare payments in general, was $129 billion.

6. Over 60% of improper welfare payments are caused by eligibility errors.

(FGA)

Eligibility errors often occur when recipients do not provide their correct information. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean enrollees submitted incorrect data on purpose. 

So, the percentage of people abusing welfare on purpose is a bit more difficult to verify due to the frequent accidental errors. The errors often happen because of automatic renewals and pre-filled forms. They can lead to people leaving out vital info that would make them ineligible for a particular program.

7. Less than 1% of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food stamps go to ineligible homes. 

(PBS)

This welfare fraud percentage shows that fraud in the food stamp program in the United States is pretty rare. Also, reports indicate that most of the situations result from honest mistakes by recipients, state workers, or technology.

8. 59% of Americans believe it’s common for people to lie about their SNAP eligibility.

(YouGov)

A survey by YouGov on welfare and social security abuse statistics shows that one in six adults in the United States doesn’t trust the Americans applying for the SNAP program. On the other hand, 47% of them trust the SNAP program to operate correctly.

9. In the UK, total welfare fraud and error overpayments totaled 2.4% in 2019/20.

(gov.uk)

Around 1.4% of that amount was related to fraud. Moreover, the total overpayment value was £4.6 billion. Welfare fraud and error payments in universal credit reached 9.4%, followed by housing benefit — 6%.

Medicare Fraud Stats

Medicare is a health insurance program mainly used by people over 65 years old, people with specific disabilities, and end-stage renal (kidney) diseases. It has three main parts. Part A presents hospital insurance, which also includes care in nursing facilities. Part B is medical insurance, while Part D covers prescription drugs, including many shots and vaccines.

10. Medicare covers 18% of Americans.

(Statista)

According to the latest available data, the number of Americans covered by Medicare is growing. The 18% presents an increase of almost 1% compared to the previous year.

11. Medicare and health insurance scams are the 3rd most popular scams that target elders.

(ncoa)

Social security fraud statistics show a rising number of medicare fraud reports this year due to the pandemic. Calls offering a cure for the COVID-19 and generic testing are some of the newer fraud trends you should watch out for.

12. 36% of the people in the United States think Americans frequently lie about their eligibility for Medicare benefits.

(YouGov)

YouGov published a survey that dealt with SSA statistics about the percentage of Americans who believe people often lie about their eligibility to get into a particular program. Medicare came fifth when it comes to untruthful information people think is shared. Programs with a higher number of misrepresentations, according to the public, are SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, and CHIP.

SSDI Facts

What is Social Security Disability Insurance? How many people receive it? What does the amount you receive depend on? Before we get to the fraud portion, it’s important that we cover basic info on the SSDI for all those confused about this program’s purpose.

13. The cost of disability insurance can go from 1% to 4% of a worker’s annual income.

(breeze)

The average disability insurance rates depend on many factors. One of the most important is the longevity of the policy. For instance, if a worker opts for a long-term policy with a longer elimination period, they will pay less.

14. On average, disabled workers receive $1,259 in insurance every month.

(Investopedia)

The average social security disability benefits stat comes from the average earnings during a worker’s life. It’s not based on the type of disability, the severity of the situation, nor the household income. After you begin your application for these benefits, the whole process can take up to five months before you start receiving them.

15. Disabled workers make up over 85% of the total number of SSDI recipients.

(SSA)

A disabled worker is a beneficiary who worked long enough in SSDI covered employment and worked at that type of employment until the onset of the disability. Currently, over 8 million workers receive disabled-worker benefits in the United States.

16. More than 11% of SSDI recipients are children.

(SSA)

We made sure to cover the info on children with disability statistics for all those wondering how many children of the disabled workers are recipients of SSDI. According to the latest data, disabled widows and widowers with children make up 2.5% of the total number of recipients.

17. 1 in 3 workers dies or becomes disabled before they retire.

(Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

SSDI statistics show that the chances of becoming disabled are the same for male and female workers – 25%. On the other hand, men are 5% more likely to die before reaching their retirement age than women.

18. 50-year-olds are two times more likely to start receiving SSDI than people in their forties.

(Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

If we look into the disability insurance facts, we can see that the likelihood of workers needing SSDI increases every decade. As a matter of fact, 60-year-olds are twice as likely to start receiving disability insurance than people aged 50.

19. 8% of the population in Alabama receives SSDI.

(KFF)

Social security disability statistics by the state show that Alabama has the highest number of SSDI beneficiaries. Arkansas also has a high number of beneficiaries: 7.9%. States with the lowest number of beneficiaries are Utah, with 2.6%, California, which has 2.7%, and Colorado, with 2.8% of SSDI beneficiaries.

Social Security Disability Fraud Statistics 

The types of fraud that we mentioned can be found in the SSDI cases as well. People with disabilities have often misrepresented the severity of their disabilities, not reporting their actual state, to continue receiving benefits.

Even though there is no excuse for committing fraud, sometimes, the rigid rules related to these benefits can force people to lie on their claims. One of the appalling facts about people with disabilities that receive benefits is that additional exercises that are believed healthy can cause loss of disability benefits in some countries. For instance, in the UK, the Disability Sports Organization reported that over 80% of disabled people would like to be more active, but 47% fear losing benefits. Around 34% of people surveyed had their benefits removed for being active or know someone that had this issue.

20. The U.S. disability investigation program has 49 units.

(SSA)

Have you ever wondered who works on the SSDI cases around the country? One of the more interesting Social Security disability facts is that the United States created the Cooperative Disability Investigations program to prevent and detect fraud in the Social Security disability benefits. The CDI is one of the most successful initiatives when it comes to detecting fraud. Its primary purpose is to work with Social Security, state disability determination services, and local law enforcement to investigate benefit claims.

21. Eligibility Investigations for the Social Security disability programs save up to $188 million in one year.

(SSA)

According to official estimates, the CDI program saves over $180 million every year to keep the disability abuse statistics under control. Since the program was established, its actions resulted in over $4 billion in projected savings to the Social Security Administration. Moreover, the program saved billions of dollars for the non-SSA programs as well.

22. 9 in 10 claims of SSDI abuse are unfounded.

(Disability News Service)

If you’re wondering how many abuse claims have legal grounds, the numbers might surprise you. According to the latest numbers, almost 90% of alleged fraud claims are proven to be non-fraudulent. The number of unfounded abuse claims is the same for both the social security administration staff and the possible victims or witnesses of the SSDI abuse.

In Conclusion

There you have it—all the info on the social security and SSDI fraud statistics, as well as ways of abusing the system. If you suspect fraudulent activities concerning your social security insurance, the SSA has call centers and a great website that’s easy to navigate and file a complaint. 

Research in OECD countries provided great insight into why people commit social security fraud. It found out that countries with a higher risk of fraud had more complex eligibility requirements. Moreover, a big reason people choose to commit fraudulent activities is their eligibility changing over time.

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