10/20/2026
How does it stack up? Looking back over the last 20 years of Social Security cost-of-living (COLA) adjustments:
✅ It’s higher than 2.8% in 2026
✅ It’s above the 20-year average of about 2.6%
✅ It ties 2012 for the 4th-largest increase since 2008, behind only 2023 (8.7%), 2022 (5.9%) and 2009 (5.8%)
What does that mean in dollars? The average retired worker’s monthly benefit goes from $2,095 to $2,170 in 2027, about $75 more per month. The maximum benefit raises just slightly, from $4,152 a month to $4,188 in 2027.
Nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries will see the 3.6% COLA beginning in January 2027. Increased payments to about 7.3 million people receiving SSI will begin on December 31, 2026.
