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Department of Health and Human Services
Most recent quarterly backlog
24,419
End of FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026)
Latest annual report
15,778
End of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
17-year change
-19%
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: 19,470
FY10: 11,612
FY12: 8,001
FY14: 9,784
FY16: 5,714
FY18: 7,666
FY20: 10,553
FY22: 13,230
FY24: 15,778
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
24,419
Received per quarter
12,387
Processed per quarter
11,650
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 | 2014-05-08 | 2,601 | 7.1 |
| #2 | 2015-01-22 | 2,425 | 6.6 |
| #3 | 2015-02-13 | 2,409 | 6.6 |
| #4 | 2015-03-27 | 2,380 | 6.5 |
| #5 | 2015-04-13 | 2,369 | 6.5 |
| #6 | 2015-04-16 | 2,366 | 6.5 |
| #7 | 2015-04-20 | 2,364 | 6.5 |
| #8 | 2015-06-04 | 2,332 | 6.4 |
| #9 | 2015-07-24 | 2,297 | 6.3 |
| #10 | 2015-08-04 | 2,290 | 6.3 |
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
336
Equivalent FTE
70.3
Total FTE
406.3
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 51,800 | 49,271 | 15,778 |
| FY2023 | 46,530 | 47,038 | 12,953 |
| FY2022 | 38,462 | 37,241 | 13,230 |
| FY2021 | 33,158 | 32,952 | 11,436 |
| FY2020 | 36,825 | 35,669 | 10,553 |
| FY2019 | 35,358 | 33,817 | 9,253 |
| FY2018 | 35,445 | 33,876 | 7,666 |
| FY2017 | 34,978 | 34,547 | 6,197 |
| FY2016 | 34,232 | 36,190 | 5,714 |
| FY2015 | 43,085 | 45,186 | 7,684 |
| FY2014 | 44,283 | 42,293 | 9,784 |
| FY2013 | 66,916 | 67,125 | 7,800 |
| FY2012 | 68,467 | 69,256 | 8,001 |
| FY2011 | 67,431 | 70,179 | 8,864 |
| FY2010 | 63,839 | 69,860 | 11,612 |
| FY2009 | 48,564 | 50,337 | 17,571 |
| FY2008 | 58,299 | 66,583 | 19,470 |
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