Fifty-one percent of pre-retirement American adults in the 50-to-64 age group are very concerned about the Social Security system, Gallup reported Friday.
In contrast, only one-third of young adults expressed a great deal of concern about the system.
Gallup conducted telephone interviews during the first week in March with a random sample of 1,041 adults living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The data showed that 44% of Americans worry a "great deal" about Social Security, 28% a "fair amount," 17% "only a little" and 10% "not at all."
Gallup said these findings came just as Social Security recipients will receive the biggest cost-of-living adjustment in six years, adding, however, that for many these increases will be offset by higher Medicare premiums.
Social Security ranked in the middle of a list of 15 issues or social problems respondents to rate in the March poll. Americans remained most worried about the availability and affordability of health care, it said.
Last month, the U.S. Senate passed the Social Security Beneficiaries Act to make annual grants to each state's protection and advocacy system.
Varying Levels of Worry
Gallup noted that the percentage of older pre-retirees in the survey who worried a great deal about the Social Security system was smaller than the 59% record highs recorded in three-year rolling averages for 2009 to 2011 and 2011 to 2013.
Younger adults in the survey also recorded slightly lower averages than in recent years, and 11 percentage points lower from 2007.
