By 2035, there will be just 2.2 workers contributing to Social Security per beneficiary. If there was one statistic that sums up Social Security’s financial problems, this would be it. By the time the last of the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age in 2035, there will be just 2.2 workers paying Social Security tax for every person collecting benefits. This ratio has historically ranged from 3.2 to 3.4, and was 2.8-to-1 in 2016, the last year for which finalized data is available.