2022 WIC Coverage Data: What the Numbers Show

In an average month of 2022, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) served an estimated 53.5% of those eligible—a statistically significant increase from 2021’s coverage rate of 51.2%. This annual report, National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibility and Program Reach in 2022 coauthored by Westat’s Courtenay Kessler, PhD, Andrew Bryant, MS, Kate Munkacsy, and Kelsey Farson Gray, MS, provides WIC state agencies with detailed coverage estimates by category, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) region, state and territory, race and ethnicity, and urbanicity.

The WIC program offers critical support, providing nutritious food, breastfeeding and nutrition education, and health and social service referrals for pregnant women, postpartum and breastfeeding mothers, and children up to age 5. Many WIC agencies collaborate closely with Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to ensure that households receive the comprehensive support needed to raise healthy, thriving families. Despite these efforts, more than 50% of WIC-eligible SNAP and Medicaid recipients nationwide did not participate in WIC in 2022.

In 2022, coverage rates were highest among infants. Children historically have shown the lowest coverage rates. Notably, the coverage rate for pregnant women was the lowest among all participant categories in 2022.

“National and state-level coverage rates provide valuable data for WIC agencies to develop targeted outreach and enrollment strategies, helping to reach those who are not yet participating in this essential USDA-funded nutrition program,” said Kessler, the lead author and a Westat Senior Research Associate for Social Policy and Economics Research. “Participating in the WIC program significantly improves the health and well-being of pregnant women, new mothers, and young children.”