# How long until we run out of Social Security numbers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 27, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959 "2007-11-27T21:01:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959/1 "2007-11-27T21:01:36Z")
Google has failed me, as has Cecil’s column archive. I know the Social Security Administration is re-using the numbers of some dead people now, but with longer lifespans I’m thinking that’s probably a stop-gap measure. Will the numbers eventually have to grow longer by a few digits? What’s the Straight Dope? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959/2 "2007-11-27T21:08:08Z")
Aren’t there 1 trillion combinations: 000-00-0000 to 999-99-9999? I’m pretty sure that there are some limitations on the numbers (for example, most people I knew that were born in GA had numbers beginning with “2” - for example, my siblings and I all have numbers beginning with 252 (in my payroll work, I also noticed that TN people have similar groupings)), but there’s nothing that states those limitations can’t be removed. If we add letters, then the number of “numbers” grows by quite a bit: 101 trillion combinations (36^9). ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959/3 "2007-11-27T21:08:49Z")
There’s 10^9 (that’s one trillion) possible numbers…I fail to see why any would need to be re-used. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959/4 "2007-11-27T21:11:17Z")
[We’ve discussed this before.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=409601&highlight=social+security+numbers) And folks, 10^9 is a **b** illion, not a trillion. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959/5 "2007-11-27T21:19:57Z")
Dammit! I had “billion”, saw “trillion” in a following post, so I edited my post QUICKLY so my “mistake” wouldn’t be seen by the unwashed. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959/6 "2007-11-27T21:50:39Z")
[QUOTE=JohnT] Dammit! I had “billion”, saw “trillion” in a following post, so I edited my post QUICKLY so my “mistake” wouldn’t be seen by the unwashed. ☹ [/QUOTE] Yes…that was my plan all along…merely to make you look foolish… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959/7 "2007-11-28T02:15:08Z")
There are 300 million Americans alive today, so that’s 1/3rd of the total right there. Ignoring everyone who’s already dead, and assuming no growth in US population (both unrealistic assumptions), we’ve got about 2 more cycles, or ~160 years, to use up the remaining numbers. It’ll go broke long before then. ---
**Author:** ![DJ\_Motorbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DJ\_Motorbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJ_Motorbike)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959/8 "2007-11-28T02:20:09Z")
The population of the US I’ve often heard estimated at around 300 Million. Since there are 1 Billion possible combinations available it seems as if we may run into problems. There are many government agencies that use SSN as a primary identifier. The software that keeps track of records would all have to be updated to either be able to accommodate additional digits or alph-numeric combinations. That could be a problem for agencies that rely on decades old systems. The company I work for would love nothing more than to be able to get rid of the decades old mainframe and software we use for the main function of our business, but we just can’t. If we ever ran out of available unique ID numbers I don’t know what we would do. Fortunately we have enough to last another several decades at the least. Now scale that to the relative vastness and incompetence of government and you have a colossal failure in the making. They are going to have to start recycling at some point. Imagine your SSN accidentally being recycled and given to a newborn. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959/9 "2007-11-28T02:33:04Z")
“Implants” ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959/10 "2007-11-28T03:29:42Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] I know the Social Security Administration is re-using the numbers of some dead people now, … [/QUOTE] According to the SSA … > [@](#): > > **Question** - Are Social Security numbers re-assigned after a person dies? > > **Answer** - No. We do not re-assign Social Security numbers. We have assigned more than 440 million Social Security numbers and each year we assign about 5.5 million new numbers. Even so, the current system will provide us with enough new numbers for several generations into the future. Source: [http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/std\_adp.php?p\_faqid=86](http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=86) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959/11 "2007-11-28T03:30:42Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] Yes…that was my plan all along…merely to make you look foolish… :smack: [/QUOTE] a-HA! I knew it! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959/12 "2007-11-28T05:30:33Z")
[QUOTE=DSYoungEsq] [We’ve discussed this before.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=409601&highlight=social+security+numbers)… [/QUOTE] Thanks, everybody. Don’t know why this - and the Cecil column - didn’t turn up when I searched for them. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959/13 "2007-11-28T20:27:33Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] Thanks, everybody. Don’t know why this - and the Cecil column - didn’t turn up when I searched for them. [/QUOTE] You didn’t pay the capybaras enough. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-until-we-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/427959/14 "2007-11-28T20:39:03Z")
The capybaras! Of course! :smack: