What is the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program?
This federal program from the Department of Agriculture provides nutritional support to eligible women, infants, and children 5 or younger.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, provides federal grants to states to support low-income women who are pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding, as well as infants and children under age 5 who are at nutritional risk.
These grants fund state and local WIC agencies to provide participants with food benefits through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, along with nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health and social services.
WIC is a federal program run by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) through its Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). It was created in 1972 as a pilot program to provide supplemental foods and nutrition education to low-income women, infants, and young children, and it was made permanent in 1975 in the Child Nutrition Act of 1966.
How many people get WIC benefits?
In FY 2024, 6.7 million women, infants, and children received WIC benefits. For comparison, 41.7 million people received SNAP benefits in FY 2024, more than six times as many as received WIC.
WIC participation has changed over time: It grew steadily from 1975 by around 245,000 participants per year until its peak in 2010 at 9.2 million participants.
After 2010, participation declined each year until 2021, but WIC participation increased again in 2022. The USDA attributes the drop in participation to declining unemployment and poverty rates, and falling birth rates. The agency also cites barriers such as eligibility confusion, transportation challenges, and stigma associated with participating in the program for the decline.
WIC enrollment is rising after 11 years of decline.
Average monthly WIC recipients, FY 1975–2024
Based on demographic data available since 1992, children ages 1 to 5 have accounted for about half of certified WIC recipients. Women and infants have each made up about a quarter of certified recipients.
Children ages 1-5 make up about half of WIC recipients.
People certified to receive WIC benefits, FY 1990–2022
How much does the federal government spend on WIC?
In FY 2024, $7.3 billion in funding went to WIC, with over two-thirds of that going to food cost support and just under a third going to Nutrition Services and Administration costs, which fund nutrition education, and healthcare services like vaccines and breastfeeding support.
This funding amount is about 0.1% of FY 2024’s total government spending of $6.8 trillion. After adjusting for inflation, WIC funding peaked in 2011 at about $10.0 billion.
WIC funding had not been more than $7.0 billion since 2017.
As with the decline in WIC participation, WIC funding declined every year from 2012 to 2021. It has been on the rise since 2022, following an increase in enrolled participants.
The majority of WIC funding goes to food costs.
WIC funding, adjusted to FY 2024 dollars, by category, FY 1974–2024
Increased spending on the program has not kept up with inflation, however. In 2024, WIC’s monthly food funding per participant is lower than historical amounts when adjusted for inflation. Funding per participant was highest just after the program’s launch — in 1975, WIC provided participants with an average of $109.47 per month for food.
Per participant food costs declined every year until evening out around 1998, when the average monthly food cost was $60.94. In FY 2024, WIC provided $61.05 in food costs per participant.
In 2024, the average monthly food cost per WIC participant was $61.
Average monthly food cost per person, FY 1974–2024. Adjusted to FY 2024 dollars.
Who is covered by WIC?
To be eligible for WIC, applicants must:
- Belong to an eligible group — pregnant women, new mothers (up to 6 months after pregnancy), breastfeeding women (up to the infant’s first birthday), infants, or children younger than 5
- Live in the state where they apply for benefits
- Meet income guidelines — generally at or below 185% of the federal poverty level — or already be a participant in programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- Be deemed at nutritional risk by a health professional, based on medical or dietary factors such as underweight, anemia, or poor diet
WIC is available in all 50 states plus Washington, DC, five US territories, and 33 tribal organizations.
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