In August 2009 , 36.5 million people, or 1 in 8 Americans, were enrolled in SNAP, including an estimated 17.7 million children, or 1 in 4 children in the United States.
caseloads have increased by 7 million people, or 24 percent since last august, and by nearly 9 million people (or nearly one-third) since the beginning of the economic downturn.