Food Policy Bites: SNAP Program Costs Decline from FY 2022 Peak, but Projected to Increase Slightly in FY 2025
October 29, 2024
Food Policy Bites #13: Recent USDA data indicates steady growth in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation, with nearly half a million new enrollees from March to July 2024. Average participation is anticipated to reach 41.7 million in FY 2024, rising slightly in FY 2025. With the end of pandemic-related assistance, average monthly benefits will drop to $188 per person, while program expenditures are projected to decline to $100.2 billion in FY 2025. Over the next decade, we project that participation will peak in FY 2025 and gradually decline, with total program costs lower than those seen in the COVID-19 peak but still higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Food Policy Bites are easily-digestible food policy insights supported by economic data analytics and analyses.