Department of the Interior
Annual backlog, FY2008–FY2025
Pending requests at end of each fiscal year (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2025). Federal fiscal year runs Oct 1 – Sept 30, named for the year it ends.
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).
10 oldest pending requests, end of FY2025 (Sept 30, 2025)
Agencies report days pending in working days, counted from the day the request was received; the years column converts to calendar years. The longer this list runs, the more litigation-ripe the agency’s backlog.
| Rank | Date received | Working days pending | Years pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2017-11-20 | 1,968 | 7.9 |
| #2 | 2017-12-07 | 1,956 | 7.8 |
| #3 | 2017-12-21 | 1,946 | 7.8 |
| #4 | 2018-01-09 | 1,935 | 7.7 |
| #5 | 2018-01-18 | 1,929 | 7.7 |
| #6 | 2018-01-18 | 1,928 | 7.7 |
| #7 | 2018-03-15 | 1,890 | 7.5 |
| #8 | 2018-04-18 | 1,866 | 7.5 |
| #9 | 2018-05-21 | 1,843 | 7.4 |
| #10 | 2018-05-31 | 1,836 | 7.3 |
Exemption invocations, FY2025 (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025)
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, FY2025 (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025)
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 9,713 | 9,442 | 5,353 |
| FY2024 | 8,305 | 8,426 | 5,073 |
| FY2023 | 7,085 | 7,388 | 4,958 |
| FY2022 | 6,407 | 6,182 | 5,409 |
| FY2021 | 6,302 | 5,774 | 5,292 |
| FY2020 | 5,977 | 5,906 | 4,756 |
| FY2019 | 7,973 | 6,782 | 4,838 |
| FY2018 | 8,402 | 7,001 | 3,707 |
| FY2017 | 8,005 | 6,733 | 2,318 |
| FY2016 | 6,428 | 6,437 | 1,048 |
| FY2015 | 6,792 | 6,757 | 1,036 |
| FY2014 | 5,764 | 5,647 | 1,014 |
| FY2013 | 6,325 | 6,363 | 868 |
| FY2012 | 6,168 | 6,285 | 893 |
| FY2011 | 5,809 | 5,909 | 1,030 |
| FY2010 | 6,127 | 5,945 | 1,200 |
| FY2009 | 5,208 | 5,088 | 1,137 |
| FY2008 | 4,810 | 4,750 | 905 |
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