How many US children receive free or reduced-price school lunches?
In 2025, 22.1 million students received subsidized lunches through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Nearly three-quarters (73.0%) of lunches served at public and nonprofit private schools were free or discounted.
22.1M
73.0%
NSLP participation dropped during the widespread school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic: from 29.6 million kids in 2019 to 11.0 million in 2021. A pandemic waiver, gave free meals to all students who physically attended school, and 98.9% of all 2021 school lunches were at least partially subsidized until the waiver expired in June 2022.
In 2025, 21.3 million students received free lunches vs. 12.5 million in 1995.
Average number of students receiving school-served lunches, FY 1969–FY 2025
Which students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch?
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers NSLP at the federal level, and nearly 100,000 public and nonprofit private schools along with residential child care institutions participate. Students K through 12 can take part, with eligibility set by the USDA based on federal poverty thresholds. Students from households at or below 130% of the poverty line qualify for free lunches, and those whose households make between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunches.
Eight states passed legislation extending free meals to all students regardless of family income in the 12 months after the pandemic waiver expired.
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How many kids are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches?
The National Center for Education Statistics reports that 53.3% of US public school students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022–2023 school year.
At the state level, this figure varied by over 80 percentage points from 18.7% of Montana’s students to 99.7% of Mississippi’s.
The states with the biggest percentages of eligible students:
- Mississippi (99.7%)
- Nevada (81.5%)
- New Mexico (75.2%)
- South Carolina (70.0%)
- Arkansas (64.0%)
Those with the smallest were:
- Montana (18.7%)
- New Hampshire (23.4%)
- Delaware (25.2%)
- Utah (29.1%)
- Tennessee (30.1%)
99.7% of all Mississippi public schoolers were eligible for subsidized lunches.
Percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price school lunches, 2022–2023 school year
How has participation changed by state over time?
Nationally, 4.8% more students received subsidized meals in FY 2025 than FY 2023. At the state level, participation increased in 36 states and Washington, DC.
The states with the most growth in program participation since FY 2023 include:
- Colorado (+29.1%)
- Michigan (+16.4%)
- Minnesota (+12.9%)
- Oregon (+12.4%)
- New Mexico (+11.6%)
States with the largest declines were:
- Connecticut (-6.2%)
- Nevada (-4.4%)
- Wyoming (-3.2%)
- Idaho (-2.7%)
- Alaska (-1.9%)
Participation in the school lunch program increased in Colorado by 29.1% since 2023, the most in the nation.
Change in the number of students participating in the school lunch program, FY 2023–FY 2025
School lunch program statistics, by state
Total participation in school lunch program, FY 2025
Percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 2022-23 school year
Keep exploring
- How many students are enrolled in charter schools? - The share of public school students enrolled in charter schools varies by state, ranging from 0% to 45.3%.
- How prepared is the US for COVID-19 and who's at risk? - As COVID-19 spreads throughout the country, we're tracking the top numbers to watch to best understand the virus's impact. How prepared are our hospitals? Who's at risk?
- How does the federal government support education? - Multiple federal agencies provide funding to support students of all ages.
- How are public schools funded? - Public school funding comes primarily from local and state governments, while the federal government provides about 8% of local school funding.
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
