Economic conditions influence SNAP participation

Line chart showing rates of Federal poverty, SNAP participation, unemployment, and food inflation, with vertical bars showing periods of recession, between 1980 and 2022.

In some ways, fiscal year 2022 marked a return to prepandemic operations for USDA’s food and nutrition assistance programs, which continued to respond to economic conditions and other factors. However, new challenges also emerged, such as rising food inflation and infant formula changes.


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