Born in 1972: full retirement age is 67
If you were born in 1972, your full retirement age for Social Security is 67. Starting at 62 cuts your benefit by about 30.00%. Waiting until 70 raises it by 24%.
| Milestone, born in 1972 | Year |
|---|---|
| Earliest age to start, 62 | 2034 |
| Medicare eligibility, 65 | 2037 |
| Full retirement age, 67 | 2039 |
| Delayed retirement credits stop, 70 | 2042 |
| Required minimum distributions start, 73 | 2045 |
Starting at 62
For people born in 1972, starting at 62 is 60 months before full retirement age. The Social Security Administration puts the reduction at about 30.00%, so a $1,000 benefit becomes about $700. A spouse's benefit is cut by about 35.00% at 62.
Waiting until 70
Each month you wait past full retirement age adds 2/3 of 1%. From 67 to 70 is 36 months, which adds 24%: $1,000 becomes about $1,240.
Two details
If you were born on January 1, Social Security treats you as born the year before. And if you delay benefits past 65, the agency says you should still apply for Medicare within 3 months of your 65th birthday.
See your own numbers with the claiming age calculator and the age when waiting pays off with the break-even calculator.
Check our work
Every figure on this page was read from these official documents. Follow the links and compare.
- Retirement Age and Benefit ReductionSocial Security Administration. Read on November 12, 2026.
- Delayed Retirement CreditsSocial Security Administration. Read on November 12, 2026.