Each year the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requires all federal agencies and departments to file reports detailing FOIA requests submitted by the public. Each report contains statistics on requests submitted, processed, granted (full or partial), and denied, in addition to current backlogged requests. The Justice Department then compiles a summary of the information provided by the other governmental units. The report for 2013 indicates a government-wide increase of 33 percent in full denials of FOIA requests from the previous year.

The 2013 report shows that of the 678,391 requests processed, a total of 41,380 (6.1 percent) full denials of information were issued based on FOIA statutory exemptions. The 2012 report said that of 665,924 requests processed that fiscal year, only 30,727 (4.6 percent) resulted in a full denial.