Small Business Administration
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 7 quarters of received, processed, and backlog. Most recent: FY2025 Q4 (Jul 1 – Sep 30, 2025).
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 | 2020-12-04 | 1,197 | 4.8 |
| #2 | 2021-01-22 | 1,167 | 4.7 |
| #3 | 2022-05-11 | 843 | 3.4 |
| #4 | 2022-06-21 | 816 | 3.3 |
| #5 | 2022-06-23 | 814 | 3.3 |
| #6 | 2022-10-26 | 728 | 2.9 |
| #7 | 2022-10-26 | 728 | 2.9 |
| #8 | 2023-01-10 | 678 | 2.7 |
| #9 | 2023-03-17 | 632 | 2.5 |
| #10 | 2023-05-01 | 602 | 2.4 |
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 | 5,323 | 5,209 | 835 |
| FY2024 | 6,813 | 7,092 | 925 |
| FY2023 | 4,381 | 4,133 | 1,204 |
| FY2022 | 7,844 | 10,828 | 1,500 |
| FY2021 | 18,127 | 15,238 | 4,484 |
| FY2020 | 4,529 | 3,020 | 1,595 |
| FY2019 | 895 | 923 | 86 |
| FY2018 | 1,089 | 1,061 | 52 |
| FY2017 | 1,430 | 1,500 | 24 |
| FY2016 | 1,116 | 1,075 | 94 |
| FY2015 | 955 | 926 | 53 |
| FY2014 | 1,306 | 1,312 | 24 |
| FY2013 | 4,933 | 4,946 | 30 |
| FY2012 | 3,870 | 3,848 | 43 |
| FY2011 | 3,135 | 3,132 | 21 |
| FY2010 | 3,162 | 3,166 | 18 |
| FY2009 | 3,892 | 3,898 | 22 |
| FY2008 | 2,637 | 2,640 | 28 |
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