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Trump shares list of countries with immigrant welfare rates; why was India excluded?
The chart did not explicitly detail the exclusion criteria; however, Indian immigrant households typically have very low welfare dependency
US President Donald Trump shared a chart on social media (Truth Social) on January 4, listing the percentage of immigrant households from about 120 countries that receive welfare or public assistance in the US.
The US government provides financial assistance to those in need, including housing support, food assistance, health insurance, assistance with utility bills, and more. The chart highlights national groups with high or low welfare usage rates.
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Several South Asian nations, like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and others such as China, were included. India was not on Trump's list, and the exclusion has sparked questions on social media, with many Indians asking why the country was omitted.
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Take a look at the list here:
The chart did not explicitly detail the exclusion criteria; however, Indian immigrant households typically have very low welfare dependency, likely below the threshold for inclusion in the published list.
According to Pew Research Centre, Indian immigrants are a high-earning group in the US. In 2023, Indian-headed households in the US had a higher annual income than Asian-headed households overall.
The median annual personal earnings of Indian Americans aged 16 and older were $85,300 in 2023, higher than among Asians overall ($52,400). Among full-time, year-round workers, Indians had a median of $106,400, and Asians overall had a median of $75,000, according to Pew Research statistics.
Poverty levels among Indians in the US are also low, at 6 per cent compared to 10 per cent among Asians overall.
Immigration stance
The US President is known for his tough stance on immigration, waves of mass deportations, and deployment of federal troops to make various cities "great again".
In November last year, Trump announced he would "permanently pause" migration from what he termed "third-world" countries. This harsh measure would allow the "US system to fully recover," he said.
The US President also announced in 2025 that federal benefits and subsidies will not be offered to any one who is not a US citizen.
Poojaraj Maniyeri
Poojaraj Maniyeri is a Digital Journalist who loves turning everyday conversations into news stories. She is also a typical bookworm, and brings a novel with her everywhere she goes.
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