FOIA Advisor

FOIA News: Defense Dep't posts annual report

FOIA News (2025)Allan BlutsteinComment

The Department of Defense has published its annual FOIA report for fiscal year 2024. Below is a summary of the key statistics:

  • 61,858 requests received, a 2.9 percent increase from FY 2023 (60,109).

  • 57,662 requests processed, a 3.4 percent increase from FY 2023 (55,731).

  • 21,436 backlogged requests, a 7.8 percent increase from the end of FY 2023 (19,882).

  • 1105 appeals received, only three fewer than it received in FY 2023 (1108).

  • 1105 appeals processed, a 12.8 percent decrease from FY 2023 (1247)

  • 607 backlogged appeals, down 17.5 percent from the end of FY 2023 (736)

  • Average responses time for processed perfected requests was 30.3 days for simple requests and 199.7 days for complex requests.

  • $104.9 million in total processing and litigation-related costs, a 16.5 percent increase from the $90 million in total costs incurred in FY 2023.