Food Stamp Usage Up from 9% of Population to 15% of Population in Life of My Website

I was one of the earliest in the financial blogosphere to point out how much of the population was reliant on food stamps back in 2007.  At that time it was 1 in 11 Americans (9%).   Each year it seems we've hit a new milestone and as of the last count 45.8 million Americans use the service.  Let that number sink in... FOURTY FIVE MILLION CITIZENS.  That is simply astounding when you sit back and think about it - fully 15% of the population.  In the 'richest' country on Earth.

In the last year alone, there has been an 8.1% increase.  During part of a 2+ year economic 'expansion'.  One shudders to think what happens during the next 'recession'.

[Nov 5, 2010:  USA Today - Anti-Poverty Programs Surpass Cost of Medicare]
[Nov 10, 2009: Walmart Executive - "There are Families Not Eating at the End of the Month"]
[Oct 30, 2009: Costco to Roll Out Food Stamps Nationwide]
[Nov 29, 2009: 1 in 4 Children, and 1 in 8 Americans Now on Food Stamps]
[Jun 8, 2009: 1 in 9 Americans on Food Stamps] 
[Feb 20, 2009: NYT - Newly Poor Swell Lines at Food Banks Nationwide]