By Sadik Sagar, Dhaka, December 6, 2026

US President Donald Trump has reignited debate over immigration and welfare after publishing a list showing the proportion of immigrant households receiving government assistance in the United States. The chart, shared on his social media platform Truth Social, places Bangladesh among the countries with the highest rates of welfare reliance, drawing particular attention in South Asia.

According to the list titled “Immigrant Welfare Recipient Rates by Country of Origin”, 54.8 per cent of Bangladeshi immigrant households in the US receive some form of government assistance. Bangladesh ranks 19th among 120 countries and territories included in the compilation. The assistance covers a range of support mechanisms, including healthcare-related benefits, food assistance programmed and other welfare services.

Trump claimed that more than half of Bangladeshi immigrant families depend on public support, using the data to underscore his administration’s hard-line stance on immigration and social spending. The list was released at a time when the US government is seeking to reduce subsidies in several sectors and tighten policies affecting immigrants’ access to benefits.

Several other South Asian countries also feature prominently. Pakistan appears on the list with 40.2 per cent of immigrant households receiving government assistance, while Nepal stands at 34.8 per cent. Bhutan tops the entire list, with a striking 81.4 per cent of its immigrant families in the US relying on welfare support. Afghanistan ranks sixth globally at 68.1 per cent.

China, another major Asian country on the list, shows a lower rate at 32.9 per cent, while Myanmar stands at 59.2 per cent. Yemen and Somalia occupy the second and third positions respectively, highlighting the high welfare dependence among immigrant populations from conflict-affected and least-developed countries.

Notably absent from the list is India. According to Trump’s post, the chart only includes countries where at least 25 per cent of immigrant families receive government assistance, suggesting that Indian immigrants fall below this threshold. Data from the Pew Research Center supports this interpretation, showing that Indian Americans are among the highest-earning ethnic groups in the US.

In 2023, the median annual income of Indian-headed households stood at USD 151,200, significantly higher than the Asian-American median of USD 105,600 and well above the overall US median. As a result, Indian-American households are less likely to qualify for or depend on public welfare programs.

The release of the data has sparked renewed discussion on immigration, economic mobility and welfare dependency, particularly concerning South Asian immigrant communities in the United States.