12.4%
2025 (latest)
ON FOOD STAMPS (SNAP)
percent of US residents receiving SNAP, fiscal-year average · 1969–2025 · lower is better · USDA Food and Nutrition Service, SNAP Annual Summary; population from BEA via FRED (POPTHM)
1.4%
1969
15.0%
high · 2013
1.4%
low · 1969
+11 pts
since 1969
┊ dashed lines mark 1979 Oil shock & inflation peak · 1987 Black Monday crash · 1991 Gulf War recession · 2001 Dot-com bust & 9/11 · 2008 Global financial crisis · 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
Method & caveats. Average monthly SNAP (food stamp) participants in each federal fiscal year, divided by the calendar-year average resident population. Both numbers are published; the ratio is the only arithmetic. Participation rises in recessions and with eligibility expansions (2009 ARRA; pandemic emergency allotments 2020–2023).
Sources
Every value on this page is read from the publisher below. Current and historical source documents:
- https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap
- https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-annualsummary-7.xlsx
- https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/POPTHM
- https://github.com/danielmiessler/substrate/tree/main/Data/US-Societal-Health
Data
| Year | On Food Stamps (SNAP) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12.4% | +0.1 pts |
| 2024 | 12.3% | −0.2 pts |
| 2023 | 12.5% | +0.2 pts |
| 2022 | 12.3% | −0.2 pts |
| 2021 | 12.5% | +0.5 pts |
| 2020 | 12.0% | +1.2 pts |
| 2019 | 10.8% | −1.6 pts |
| 2018 | 12.4% | −0.5 pts |
| 2017 | 12.9% | −0.7 pts |
| 2016 | 13.6% | −0.6 pts |
| 2015 | 14.2% | −0.4 pts |
| 2014 | 14.6% | −0.4 pts |
| 2013 | 15.0% | +0.2 pts |
| 2012 | 14.8% | +0.5 pts |
| 2011 | 14.3% | +1.3 pts |
| 2010 | 13.0% | +2.1 pts |
| 2009 | 10.9% | +1.6 pts |
| 2008 | 9.3% | +0.6 pts |
| 2007 | 8.7% | −0.2 pts |
| 2006 | 8.9% | +0.2 pts |
| 2005 | 8.7% | +0.6 pts |
| 2004 | 8.1% | +0.8 pts |
| 2003 | 7.3% | +0.7 pts |
| 2002 | 6.6% | +0.5 pts |
| 2001 | 6.1% | +0.0 pts |
| 2000 | 6.1% | −0.4 pts |
| 1999 | 6.5% | −0.7 pts |
| 1998 | 7.2% | −1.2 pts |
| 1997 | 8.4% | −1.1 pts |
| 1996 | 9.5% | −0.5 pts |
| 1995 | 10.0% | −0.4 pts |
| 1994 | 10.4% | +0.0 pts |
| 1993 | 10.4% | +0.5 pts |
| 1992 | 9.9% | +1.0 pts |
| 1991 | 8.9% | +0.9 pts |
| 1990 | 8.0% | +0.4 pts |
| 1989 | 7.6% | +0.0 pts |
| 1988 | 7.6% | −0.3 pts |
| 1987 | 7.9% | −0.2 pts |
| 1986 | 8.1% | −0.2 pts |
| 1985 | 8.3% | −0.5 pts |
| 1984 | 8.8% | −0.4 pts |
| 1983 | 9.2% | −0.2 pts |
| 1982 | 9.4% | −0.4 pts |
| 1981 | 9.8% | +0.5 pts |
| 1980 | 9.3% | +1.5 pts |
| 1979 | 7.8% | +0.6 pts |
| 1978 | 7.2% | −0.6 pts |
| 1977 | 7.8% | −0.7 pts |
| 1976 | 8.5% | +0.6 pts |
| 1975 | 7.9% | +1.9 pts |
| 1974 | 6.0% | +0.3 pts |
| 1973 | 5.7% | +0.4 pts |
| 1972 | 5.3% | +0.8 pts |
| 1971 | 4.5% | +2.4 pts |
| 1970 | 2.1% | +0.7 pts |
| 1969 | 1.4% | — |
Also in Wealth & Inequality