United States Postal Service
Annual backlog, FY2010–FY2025
Pending requests at end of each fiscal year (Oct 1, 2009 – 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 | 2020-08-24 | 1,275 | 5.1 |
| #2 | 2020-08-10 | 1,173 | 5.1 |
| #3 | 2020-09-15 | 1,162 | 5.0 |
| #4 | 2020-08-10 | 1,144 | 5.1 |
| #5 | 2021-04-06 | 1,122 | 4.5 |
| #6 | 2021-04-22 | 1,110 | 4.4 |
| #7 | 2021-04-27 | 1,107 | 4.4 |
| #8 | 2021-05-05 | 1,101 | 4.4 |
| #9 | 2021-05-21 | 1,089 | 4.4 |
| #10 | 2021-06-01 | 1,059 | 4.3 |
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 | 5,451 | 5,498 | 514 |
| FY2024 | 4,429 | 4,203 | 560 |
| FY2023 | 4,168 | 4,104 | 330 |
| FY2022 | 3,894 | 3,986 | 262 |
| FY2021 | 4,864 | 4,905 | 355 |
| FY2020 | 3,575 | 3,372 | 409 |
| FY2019 | 2,972 | 2,960 | 206 |
| FY2018 | 3,150 | 3,116 | 194 |
| FY2017 | 3,102 | 3,140 | 162 |
| FY2016 | 2,718 | 2,734 | 181 |
| FY2015 | 2,651 | 2,680 | 214 |
| FY2014 | 2,547 | 2,489 | 254 |
| FY2013 | 2,350 | 2,303 | 203 |
| FY2012 | 2,434 | 2,460 | 148 |
| FY2011 | 2,504 | 2,415 | 185 |
| FY2010 | 2,008 | 2,018 | 113 |
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