A sign displays that a shop accepts Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), more commonly known as food stamps, in the GrowNYC Greenmarket in New York City on Sept. 18, 2013. (Getty Images/Andrew Burton)

(CNSNews.com) - The number of persons in households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)--also known as food stamps--has declined by 4,123,082 since December 2016, the month before Donald Trump was inaugurated president, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In December 2016, the last full month that President Barack Obama was in office, there were 42,969,079 people on food stamps, according to USDA. As of August 2018, according to data released last week by USDA, the number of people on food stamps had declined to 38,845,997.

The last time food stamp participation was lower than it was this August was nine years ago in November 2009, when it was 38,184,306. In December 2009, it rose to 38,979,280 and had not dropped below that level until July of this year when it hit 38,934,197--down from 39,344,449 this June.

The number of persons on food stamps peaked in December 2012 at 47,792,056. Since that peak, the number of persons on food stamps has dropped by 8,946,059.