Trump shares list of 120 countries whose immigrants receive welfare in US — why was India excluded?

US President Donald Trump on Sunday shared data showing the rates at which immigrant households from various countries receive welfare and public assistance in the United States. However, the GOP leader did not mention India in the list despite mentioning most of its neighbours, including China, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The chart was titled “Immigrant Welfare Recipietnt Rates by Country of Origin,” and was posted on Trump’s Truth Social platform and covers about 120 countries and territories. It lists the percentage of households receiving some form of government assistance for immigrants born in each country.

Here are the top 10 and bottom 10 countries, according to the data.

Top 10 countries with the highest percentage of immigrant households receiving welfare assistance

1. Bhutan – 81.4%
2. Yemen – 75.2%
3. Somalia – 71.9%
4. Marshall Islands – 71.4%
5. Dominican Republic – 68.1%
6. Afghanistan – 68.1%
7. Congo – 66.0%
8. Guinea – 65.8%
9. Samoa (1940–1950) – 63.4%
10. Cape Verde – 63.1%

Top 10 countries with the lowest percentage of immigrant households receiving welfare assistance

1. Bermuda – 25.5%
2. Saudi Arabia – 25.7%
3. Israel/Palestine – 25.9%
4. Argentina – 26.2%
5. South America (unspecified) – 26.7%
6. Korea – 27.2%
7. Zambia – 28.0%
8. Portugal – 28.2%
9. Kenya – 28.5%
10. Kuwait – 29.3%

According to the data provided by US president, India's neighbours, Bhutan received 81.4%, Bangladesh 54.8%, Pakistan 40.2%, and Nepal 34.8%.

The chart does not explain why certain countries were omitted or the specific types of assistance covered.

Why was India excluded from the list?

India is not included in the chart because Indian immigrants have one of the lowest rates of welfare use among all immigrant groups, likely well below the apparent 25 per cent threshold for inclusion.

Indian-American households have very high median incomes, over $151,000 per year on average in 2023, and immigrant-headed households earn around $156,000. This is largely due to selective immigration policies, such as H-1B visas, high levels of education, and employment in professional fields like technology, medicine, and engineering. These factors mean Indian immigrants are largely self-sufficient and rarely rely on government programs such as Medicaid or food assistance. As a result, India ranks far below the countries on the chart and is excluded from a list focused on higher welfare usage.