Federal Food Stamps Program Hits Record Costs at $119 Billion

A sign alerting customers about SNAP food stamps benefits at a Brooklyn grocery store in New York on Dec. 5, 2019. Scott Heins/Getty Images

The cost of the federal food stamps program known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) increased to a record $119.5 billion in 2022, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

SNAP costs have increased from $60.3 billion in 2019, the last year before the pandemic, to the record-setting $119.5 billion in 2022. The number of participants had increased from 35.7 million in 2019 to 41.2 million in 2022.