SNAP rolls are shrinking fast. This map shows which states have seen the biggest drops.

The number of people receiving food assistance through the nation's largest federal food aid program has fallen by more than 5 million over the past year.

Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has decreased by more than 13% as stricter eligibility rules and work requirements take effect. The biggest declines have been seen in the South and Southwest of the country.

Data released by the USDA this month showed SNAP enrollment provisionally fell to 36.6 million in May 2026 from 42.2 million in May 2025. This provisional figure would make the number of people receiving SNAP as low as it was forecast to reach in 2030, according to the Associated Press.

The decline comes as changes to SNAP have expanded work requirements and tightened eligibility rules as part of President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).

The changes mean more people must now work, volunteer or take part in job training for at least 80 hours a month to continue receiving SNAP, or risk losing benefits. This rule was extended to include adults up to age 64 and parents of children 14 and older. The law also removed automatic exemptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness and former foster youth. Exemptions remain for those 65 and older, parents of children younger than 14, and people with disabilities or health limitations.

Some states have seen sharper drops than others, which you can see in the map below.

In Arizona, the number of people receiving SNAP fell by 53.8% from May 2025 to May 2026, while Georgia saw a 36.5% decline over the same period, according to USDA's figures .

Arizona officials said the drop was driven largely by the state's struggles to put the new federal requirements in place.

"Implementing the federally mandated changes triggered unprecedented call volumes and administrative hurdles, including additional verification requirements, creating real barriers for applicants," Brett Bezio, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Economic Security, told the Associated Press .

Bezio said hiring more staff members and introducing ways for people to submit documents online have helped stem the decline in participation in recent months and reduced the risk that eligible people will lose benefits.

Supporters of the changes introduced by the OBBBA argue that tighter eligibility rules will reduce improper payments and encourage more adults to work.

In an article looking into the fall in SNAP participants last week, the Cato Institute said: "Much of SNAP's enrollment decline reflects states unwinding pandemic-era waivers and eligibility rules that kept caseloads elevated."

It added, "Judge the success of OBBBA's SNAP reforms, and all welfare programs, by how many people move out of welfare and into self-sufficiency, not by how many are kept on it."

Grocery prices in U.S. cities have risen 33% since the beginning of 2019, according to government figures. By comparison, they rose just 6.4% over the previous seven-and-a-half years.

In Florida, where SNAP participation fell 22% in the year to May 2026, Paco Velez, president and CEO of Feeding South Florida, said part of the decline may be driven by immigrants who are in the U.S. legally but fear being targeted by the Trump administration's immigration crackdown if they seek government benefits.

Critics of the SNAP reforms say the new requirements create administrative hurdles that can cause eligible people to lose food assistance.

Some food banks have increased food distributions to try to meet demand that they say has risen as SNAP participation has declined. But advocates say they cannot fully make up the difference.

Reflecting on the changes to SNAP earlier this month, nonprofit No Kid Hungry said: "Already 4.5 million people, including over a million kids, have lost access to SNAP over the past year. Those families are now missing out on the nutritious food SNAP provides, and sadly that number will only grow."

The decline may not be over. Starting in October 2027, states will have to pay a share of SNAP benefit costs if their payment error rates exceed 6% — a change advocates warn could push states to tighten eligibility further to avoid the added expense, potentially creating new barriers for recipients in the years ahead.