SNAP (Food Stamp) Enrollment
People in households receiving SNAP benefits, reported monthly to USDA
Where the SNAP (Food Stamp) Enrollment stands now
The SNAP (Food Stamp) Enrollment was 36.09 million in July 2026, the lowest in data back to 2022. It has been lower than a year earlier for 14 months in a row.
What it means for households: SNAP and Food Assistance Statistics
How the SNAP (Food Stamp) Enrollment has moved since 2014
SNAP (Food Stamp) Enrollment: down since 2014, the lowest in data back to 2022
USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, people participating in SNAP (fiscal-year averages before October 2022): 36.09 million in July 2026, down from 41.6 million a year earlier. Monthly, 2014–2026.
What the SNAP (Food Stamp) Enrollment measures
SNAP (Food Stamp) Enrollment by month, 2014 to 2026
Every month since 2014, newest first. The change compares each month with the same month a year earlier.
The source changed how it measures this in Oct 2022. Readings through September 2022 are annual fiscal-year figures dated to the September 30 fiscal-year end. From October 2022 the series carries USDA's individual monthly participation counts, so a reading before this date summarises a whole year and a reading after it counts one month. Figures on either side are not directly comparable, so the change column stays blank where a comparison would cross that date. Source documentation.
| Month | Count | Change from a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | 36.09M | −5.51M |
| Jun 2026 | 36.52M | −5.15M |
| May 2026 | 36.73M | −5.11M |
| Apr 2026 | 37.11M | −4.84M |
| Mar 2026 | 37.53M | −4.66M |
| Feb 2026 | 37.95M | −4.23M |
| Jan 2026 | 38.55M | −3.86M |
| Dec 2025 | 39.21M | −3.75M |
| Nov 2025 | 40M | −3.01M |
| Oct 2025 | 40.67M | −2.58M |
| Sep 2025 | 41.21M | −1.11M |
| Aug 2025 | 41.42M | −0.85M |
| Jul 2025 | 41.6M | −0.43M |
| Jun 2025 | 41.67M | −0.2M |
| May 2025 | 41.84M | +0.04M |
| Apr 2025 | 41.95M | +0.34M |
| Mar 2025 | 42.19M | +0.62M |
| Feb 2025 | 42.18M | +0.92M |
| Jan 2025 | 42.41M | +1.13M |
| Dec 2024 | 42.96M | +1.62M |
| Nov 2024 | 43.01M | +1.56M |
| Oct 2024 | 43.25M | +1.54M |
| Sep 2024 | 42.32M | +0.67M |
| Aug 2024 | 42.27M | +0.26M |
| Jul 2024 | 42.03M | +0.63M |
| Jun 2024 | 41.87M | −0.06M |
| May 2024 | 41.8M | −0.2M |
| Apr 2024 | 41.61M | −0.3M |
| Mar 2024 | 41.57M | −0.86M |
| Feb 2024 | 41.26M | −1.34M |
| Jan 2024 | 41.28M | −1.49M |
| Dec 2023 | 41.34M | −1.35M |
| Nov 2023 | 41.45M | −0.95M |
| Oct 2023 | 41.71M | −0.63M |
| Sep 2023 | 41.65M | — |
| Aug 2023 | 42.01M | — |
| Jul 2023 | 41.4M | — |
| Jun 2023 | 41.93M | — |
| May 2023 | 42M | — |
| Apr 2023 | 41.91M | — |
| Mar 2023 | 42.43M | — |
| Feb 2023 | 42.6M | — |
| Jan 2023 | 42.77M | — |
| Dec 2022 | 42.69M | — |
| Nov 2022 | 42.4M | — |
| Oct 2022 | 42.34M | — |
| Sep 2022 | 41.2M | −0.4M |
| Sep 2021 | 41.6M | +1.7M |
| Sep 2020 | 39.9M | +4.2M |
| Sep 2019 | 35.7M | −5.1M |
| Sep 2018 | 40.8M | −1.5M |
| Sep 2017 | 42.3M | −1.9M |
| Sep 2016 | 44.2M | −1.6M |
| Sep 2015 | 45.8M | −0.9M |
| Sep 2014 | 46.7M | — |
Monthly · U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Administration
Counties with the highest debt burden scores
There's no county figure for this measure, so this list uses the debt burden part of our County Distress Index.
| Rank | County | Score (0–100) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bronx County, NY | 99.6 |
| 2 | Miami-Dade County, FL | 99.4 |
| 3 | Rockland County, NY | 99.4 |
| 4 | Clayton County, GA | 99.1 |
| 5 | Broward County, FL | 99 |
| 6 | Palm Beach County, FL | 98.8 |
| 7 | Santa Barbara County, CA | 98.4 |
| 8 | St. Lucie County, FL | 98.4 |
| 9 | Osceola County, FL | 98.3 |
| 10 | Orleans Parish, LA | 98 |
Questions about SNAP enrollment
How many people receive SNAP benefits?
The latest USDA tables show 36.09 million people in households receiving SNAP benefits in July 2026, a preliminary figure. USDA also publishes a fiscal-year average, which is a different number from any single month.
Is this the number of households, or of people who cannot afford food?
Neither. It counts people, and a household can include several people; USDA reports households separately. It counts participation in the program, not hunger or food insecurity, which other surveys measure.
Where does SNAP participation data come from?
State SNAP agencies report monthly totals to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which publishes them in its SNAP data tables with no fixed release calendar. The two latest months are preliminary, and later tables revise earlier months. County-level figures are published only for January and July, and not for every state.
Sources and method for the SNAP (Food Stamp) Enrollment
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Administration We use the monthly figures as published, from September 2014 through July 2026, with no adjustment of our own. U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Administration doesn’t adjust this count for the season, so compare a month with the same month a year earlier. U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Administration’s report
We write with assistance from AI tools. Figures come from the data and sources named on this page.