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Department of Defense
Most recent quarterly backlog
32,353
End of FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026)
Latest annual report
33,852
End of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
17-year change
+131%
FY2008 → FY2024 (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2024)
Annual backlog, FY2008–FY2024
Pending requests at end of each fiscal year (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2024). Federal fiscal year runs Oct 1 – Sept 30, named for the year it ends.
FY08: 14,660
FY10: 12,115
FY12: 9,452
FY14: 11,672
FY16: 13,681
FY18: 16,903
FY20: 22,413
FY22: 25,243
FY24: 33,852
Dashed verticals mark presidential inaugurations.
Recent quarterly activity
Last 22 quarters of received, processed, and backlog. Most recent: FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026).
Backlog
32,353
Received per quarter
17,838
Processed per quarter
17,555
10 oldest pending requests, end of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
Days pending counts forward from the day the request was received. The longer this list runs, the more litigation-ripe the agency’s backlog.
| Rank | Date received | Days pending | Years pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2008-03-17 | 4,144 | 11.4 |
| #2 | 2008-03-24 | 4,139 | 11.3 |
| #3 | 2008-04-01 | 4,133 | 11.3 |
| #4 | 2008-04-17 | 4,121 | 11.3 |
| #5 | 2008-05-28 | 4,093 | 11.2 |
| #6 | 2008-06-02 | 4,090 | 11.2 |
| #7 | 2008-07-25 | 4,052 | 11.1 |
| #8 | 2008-07-30 | 4,049 | 11.1 |
| #9 | 2008-08-15 | 4,037 | 11.1 |
| #10 | 2008-10-27 | 3,988 | 10.9 |
Exemption invocations, FY2024 (Oct 1, 2023 – Sept 30, 2024)
How often each FOIA exemption (b1–b9) was invoked when redacting or denying records. Exemption 5 (deliberative process, attorney-client) is highlighted — it’s the most-fought exemption in FOIA litigation.
FOIA staffing, FY2024 (Oct 1, 2023 – Sept 30, 2024)
Full-time employees
593
Equivalent FTE
365.4
Total FTE
958.4
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 61,858 | 57,662 | 33,852 |
| FY2023 | 60,109 | 55,731 | 29,735 |
| FY2022 | 54,004 | 52,222 | 25,243 |
| FY2021 | 52,805 | 50,703 | 24,385 |
| FY2020 | 54,023 | 50,006 | 22,413 |
| FY2019 | 56,524 | 54,545 | 18,665 |
| FY2018 | 57,032 | 54,323 | 16,903 |
| FY2017 | 55,198 | 53,760 | 14,905 |
| FY2016 | 53,544 | 52,332 | 13,681 |
| FY2015 | 57,498 | 56,507 | 12,695 |
| FY2014 | 61,055 | 59,321 | 11,672 |
| FY2013 | 68,014 | 67,679 | 9,862 |
| FY2012 | 66,078 | 66,651 | 9,452 |
| FY2011 | 74,117 | 75,648 | 10,224 |
| FY2010 | 73,573 | 74,790 | 12,115 |
| FY2009 | 67,434 | 68,133 | 13,944 |
| FY2008 | 71,228 | 71,699 | 14,660 |
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