The National Survey of the Aged, 1975, was conducted during the Spring and Summer by Ethel Shanas under a grant from the Administration on Aging and with supplemental funding from the Social Security Administration. It surveys non-institutionalized Americans aged 65 and over and is especially concerned with developing national estimates of the economic needs and social concerns of the elderly. The survey attempts to describe the aged population and to indicate the degree of health, financial independence, and familial support of 2,143 older Americans. Also studied are the present work status of the elderly, their attitudes toward work, present and past, their desire for gainful employment, their income and assets, their evaluation of their own financial status, and their reported use of health and welfare services. The data collection is comprised of three parts.