How has the number of SNAP recipients changed year by year over the last decade?
Executive summary
SNAP participation rose sharply during the COVID-era economic shock and has since fallen from pandemic peaks — about 41.7 million people in FY2024 (12.3% of the population) to an average of 42.4 million people through the first eight months of FY2025, with May 2025 counts near 41–42 million depending on the dataset [1] [2]. Federal and independent trackers show participation peaking in 2013 historically and spiking during 2020–2021; recent year-to-year declines began in late 2024 and continued into 2025, with USDA monthly data documenting drops of roughly 1.5 million recipients between October 2024 and May 2025 [3] [4].
1. A decade of highs, shocks and declines: the broad trend
Over the last decade SNAP participation has moved from lower post-recession levels through a pandemic-fueled peak and into a partial unwind. Analysts and federal pages position the largest long-run spike since 2000 in 2013, then another dramatic increase beginning in 2020 when COVID-19 and emergency policies expanded rolls and benefits; by FY2024 roughly 41.7 million people were served [3] [1]. Independent reporting using USDA monthly tables shows continued high enrolment into 2024–2025 with early FY2025 averages at about 42.4 million people [2].
2. Year-to-year numbers: what the official and independent counts show
Available sources do not supply a full year-by-year table for the entire decade within the materials you provided; however, USDA/Economic Research Service pages and compilations cited in news analysis show key anchors: FY2024 average participation ~41.7 million (12.3% of population) and the first eight months of FY2025 averaging 42.4 million people [1] [2]. Monthly USDA data analyzed by Newsweek reports a drop from 43.25 million in October 2024 to about 41.74 million in May 2025, a decline of roughly 1.5 million recipients over that interval [4].
3. Why the numbers moved: policy, pandemic and eligibility rules
The pandemic created emergency allotments and broader use of SNAP that lifted participation and benefits in 2020–2021; those emergency increases largely ended in 2023 and contributed to lower benefit amounts and downstream enrollment effects [3] [5]. Recent policy shifts and legislative action in 2025 — including new work-requirement provisions and budget legislation referenced in reporting — are driving renewed attention and could explain part of the 2024–2025 enrollment decline or volatility [6] [7].
4. Monthly vs. fiscal-year measures: apples-to-oranges risk
Different trackers use different frames: USDA publishes monthly recipient counts (useful to detect short-term swings), while FY reports and research briefs report annual averages or fiscal-year totals. Pew/USDA-derived averages for the first eight months of FY2025 (Oct 2024–May 2025) show 42.4 million people, while FY2024 whole-year measures center on about 41.7 million — both are valid but not directly comparable without noting the period each covers [2] [1].
5. State and subgroup variation: national averages hide local shifts
National totals mask large state-by-state diversity and subgroup patterns. Newsweek’s read of USDA monthly tables found some states (e.g., Alaska, Hawaii) with small increases from Jan–May 2025 while others (e.g., Georgia, North Carolina) saw double-digit percentage declines in that period [4]. USDA and CBPP analyses highlight that children, working adults and seniors are substantial shares of the caseload, meaning policy or economic shifts that affect jobs, immigration status, or program rules can have uneven geographic impacts [3] [8].
6. Limitations, gaps and where to get the year-by-year series
The materials provided do not include a complete year-by-year decade table in one place. For a precise annual series you should consult the USDA Food and Nutrition Service SNAP Data Tables and the ERS “Food and Nutrition Assistance Landscape” reports, which publish annual participation and spending time series [9] [3]. Media summaries (Pew, Newsweek, CBPP) are useful for recent-year context but rely on USDA underlying tables [2] [4] [8].
7. Competing interpretations and what to watch next
Some analysts emphasize that declines since late 2024 signal economic recovery and the end of emergency policies; others point out that policy changes in 2025 (work requirements, benefit cuts, budget actions) and administrative shifts likely accelerated withdrawals and could increase food hardship if many newly ineligible people remain economically insecure [6] [7]. Watch monthly USDA data and state-level dashboards for ongoing changes — journalists and researchers are already tracking a several-hundred-thousand to low-million recipient decline since October 2024 [4] [2].
Sources cited: USDA FNS SNAP Data Tables [9]; USDA Economic Research Service key statistics [3]; Pew Research summary of FY2025 averages [2]; Newsweek analysis of monthly USDA data [4]; USAFacts FY2024 figure [1]; CBPP state fact sheets [8]; CNN reporting on policy changes in 2025 [6]; USDA reports history referenced by FRAC [5].