Trends in USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Rates: Fiscal Year 2010 to Fiscal Year 2015

This report is the latest in a series on SNAP participation rates, which estimate the proportion of people eligible for benefits under Federal income and asset rules who actually participate in the program. This report presents estimates of participation rates for fiscal year (FY) 2015, comparing them to estimates of participation rates for FYs 2010 through 2014.

On average, 50 million individuals were eligible for benefits each month in 2015, and nearly 42 million received them. Overall, the program served 83 percent of all eligible individuals in 2015, unchanged from 2014, but up from 72 percent in 2010.