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Department of the Interior
Most recent quarterly backlog
5,901
End of FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026)
Latest annual report
5,073
End of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
17-year change
+461%
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: 905
FY10: 1,200
FY12: 893
FY14: 1,014
FY16: 1,048
FY18: 3,707
FY20: 4,756
FY22: 5,409
FY24: 5,073
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
5,901
Received per quarter
2,177
Processed per quarter
1,811
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 | 2016-10-18 | 1,993 | 5.5 |
| #2 | 2017-04-13 | 1,872 | 5.1 |
| #3 | 2017-04-13 | 1,872 | 5.1 |
| #4 | 2017-04-20 | 1,867 | 5.1 |
| #5 | 2017-04-25 | 1,864 | 5.1 |
| #6 | 2017-05-02 | 1,859 | 5.1 |
| #7 | 2017-05-04 | 1,857 | 5.1 |
| #8 | 2017-05-31 | 1,839 | 5.0 |
| #9 | 2017-06-01 | 1,838 | 5.0 |
| #10 | 2017-06-16 | 1,827 | 5.0 |
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
86
Equivalent FTE
46.9
Total FTE
132.9
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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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