These nations top US Immigrant Welfare Recipient list. Guess who's missing?

US President Donald Trump on Sunday shared a list of countries, including China, Russia, and Pakistan, whose immigrants receive the highest levels of government assistance in the US.

 

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump released figures for immigrant households from more than 80 countries that rely on US aid. Bhutan topped the list, with 81.4 per cent of immigrant households receiving assistance, followed by the Yemen Arab Republic (North) at 75.2 per cent and Somalia at 71.9 per cent.

 

According to the data shared, 40.2 per cent of Pakistani, 33.9 per cent of Russian, and 32.9 per cent of Chinese immigrant households received US assistance.

India missing from the list

However, India did not feature anywhere on the list, despite Indians being one of the largest immigrant communities in the country.

 

Indian Americans are the second-largest Asian-origin group in the US, making up about 21 per cent of the Asian population. As of 2023, an estimated 5.2 million people in the United States identified as Indian, according to figures published by the US Census Bureau.

Indians among highest earners in the US

Indians are among the highest-earning immigrant groups in the US. According to a 2025 report by the Pew Research Centre, Indian-origin households earn much more than most other immigrant and Asian groups.

 

The median annual income of Indian-headed households was $151,200 in 2023. This was much higher than the median income of Asian-headed households overall, which stood at $105,600.

 

Moreover, households led by Indian immigrants earned even more. Their median annual income was $156,000, compared with $120,200 for households headed by US-born Indians.

Avg income of Indian Americans at $85,300

At the individual level, Indian Americans aged 16 and above had a median annual earnings of $85,300 in 2023. This was far higher than the Asian average of $52,400. Among full-time, year-round workers, Indians earned a median of $106,400, while Asians overall earned $75,000.

 

Indians in the US also show strong homeownership levels. About 62 per cent of Indian-headed households own their homes, the same as the Asian average.

Poverty rate among Indians half that of China, Pak

At the same time, poverty among Indians is relatively low. Only 6 per cent of Indians in the US live in poverty, which is about half the rate seen among Chinese (12 per cent) and Pakistanis (12 per cent), and much lower than that of Bangladeshis (14 per cent). The poverty rate for Asians overall stands at 10 per cent.