When I first read that women are 80% more likely than men to live in poverty after 65 than men, I did not realize the percentage was so high. I discovered that the percentage came from a 2016 National Institute of Retirement Security report that relied on the 2012 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) from the U.S. Census Bureau. The credible, large-scale national survey analyzes variables such as income from Social Security, pensions, savings, and part-time work to determine poverty levels. 

The figure does not mean 80% of women are impoverished in retirement but that women are 80% more likely than men to fall below the poverty line – a significant distinction. If the poverty rate among men aged 65 and older is, say, 5%, and the poverty rate for women is 9%, the difference of 4 percentage points translates into an 80% greater likelihood of poverty for women compared to men. 

According to the most recent available data, Statista reported poverty rates in 2021 of 8.6% for men and 10.3% for women, a 19% difference; but for those 75 and older, the rates for men remained relatively stable at 8.8%, while the women’s rates skyrocketed to 13.5% – a 53.3% greater likelihood.

So why are women disproportionately vulnerable to poverty? One reason is that women have lower lifetime earnings than men. In 2023, the gender pay gap in the United States was approximately 83.6%. In Utah, the gap is 70%. And this disparity is even more pronounced among women of color. This disparity affects savings, pension contributions, and Social Security benefits. Women are also more likely to live in poverty because they leave the workforce to take care of children, the elderly, or disabled individuals. These life circumstances lead to shorter tenures and fewer retirement contributions. In addition, women outlive men on average, increasing their likelihood of exhausting savings and pensions; because women are more likely to outlive their spouses, losing a portion of household income and benefits tied to the spouse.

The compounding effects of income gaps, caregiving, and longevity are important factors to address as they lead to incredible income disparities between women and men, particularly in older age. A November 2024 Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) report, “Women and Aging: What Utahns Need to Know,” provided current Utah data. As with other states, Utah’s population is aging, which means that more Utahns are nearing and living in those retirement years. Both women and men need to be prepared. 

Caregiving in Utah is primarily performed by women – even more than across the nation – and is foundational to the survival and stability of society, individuals, and the economy, yet it remains undervalued in economic and policy frameworks. We must all recognize unpaid care work as essential labor and figure out more ways to support caregivers. It is important to understand that more than 4 in 10 Utah caregivers report financial stress, and in a 2023 survey by AARP, more than half of respondents reported increased stress, which has health and emotional consequences.

Utah’s housing crisis affects everyone. According to the UWLP report, low-income Utahns face the loss of over 40.0% of its federally subsidized rental units for seniors over the next 25 years. Given that women live longer than men, the lack of affordable housing will disproportionately affect older women. Also, costs can be out of reach when older adults require medically supportive housing such as assisted living. Other healthcare shortfalls occur in rural areas and in support for those requiring mental health care and assistance because of dementia. 

Poverty affects women more strongly in every age group, but the gap widens as women age. Not every Utah woman will experience poverty, but the likelihood grows because of factors such as the gender pay gap, caregiving responsibilities, less time in the paid workforce, longer lifespans, unaffordable housing, and challenges with healthcare access. We need to ensure that Utahn’s seniors can thrive in their later years – and we must start preparing now. 

Susan R. Madsen is the Inaugural Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership at Utah State University and founder and director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project.