PLEASE NOTE: This site is an archival resource, no longer updated as of June 1, 2026. Current questions: The Fiscal Lab.
Social Programs

The Percentage of Americans on Food Stamps has Doubled Since 2001

Social Programs Policy Rapid Response BlogMay 16, 2024 By Matthew Dickerson

Food stamp enrollment has increased significantly in recent decades.

In fiscal year 2023, 42.1 million Americans received food stamps. This is 2.4 times the 17.3 million who were enrolled in FY 2001.

As the number of people receiving food stamp benefits has increased, the percentage of the U.S. population enrolled has also increased.

In fiscal year 2023, 12.6 percent of the total U.S. population received food stamp benefits. This is more than double the 6.1 percent in FY 2001.

In FY 2013, a record high of 15.1 percent of Americans received food stamps.

Growing Dependency On Food Stamps
Sources: USDA and Census.

Growing food stamp enrollment has led to fewer workers throughout the economy paying taxes and supporting each welfare recipient.

Work is an important value that is vital to human flourishing for individuals, families, communities, and the United States. The food stamp program provides billions of dollars in benefits to millions of work-capable people each year. Unfortunately, the food stamp program undermines work and traps too many people in dependency, rather than promoting opportunity.

Read the EPIC Report: Food Stamps: A Culture of Dependency.

Author

Matthew D. Dickerson

Matthew D. Dickerson

Director of Budget Policy

Matthew D. Dickerson is Director of Budget Policy at the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC). Dickerson is recognized as an expert on fiscal policy issues, including the budget, appropriations, and entitlement reform. His articles have been featured in the Wall Street Journal , the Miami Herald , National Review , the Sacramento Bee , the Washington Times , the Baltimore Sun , The Hill , the Washington Examiner , and other outlets. Prior to joining EPIC, Dickerson served as Senior Policy Advisor on the staff of the House Budget Committee, where he helped lead development of the fiscal year 2024 budget resolution. He has a dozen years of experience on Capitol Hill, including as a senior staffer with the Republican Study Committee (RSC), the caucus of conservatives in the House of Representatives. Under four different RSC chairmen, Dickerson held senior level roles including Policy Director and Senior Policy Staff. Additionally, he served as Legislative Director and other policy positions for the late Congressman C.W. Bill Young (R-FL), a former Chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. During his tenure at The Heritage Foundation, Dickerson was Director of the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget. In this capacity, he oversaw a team of budget analysts and economists researching diverse subjects including spending, entitlements, budget process, tax, labor, pensions, and infrastructure issues. He has also been a Policy Manager at Americans for Prosperity, where he supervised a team of fellows and analysts covering a variety of federal and state policy issues. Dickerson is a graduate of the College of William and Mary in Virginia and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and History.

More from Matthew D. Dickerson →

Related content

More →

← All work