US President Donald Trump has claimed that 54.8 per cent of Bangladeshi immigrant families living in the United States receive government benefits.
On Sunday, the US published a list showing the share of immigrant families receiving government assistance by country of origin. Bangladesh ranks 19th among 120 countries on the list. The list includes four other South Asian countries: Bhutan, which ranks first with 81.4 per cent; Afghanistan, ranking sixth with 68.1 per cent; Pakistan, ranking 60th with 40.2 per cent; and Nepal, ranking 90th with 34.8 per cent.
President Trump shared the list on his social media platform, Truth Social, under the title "Immigrant Welfare Recipient Rates by Country of Origin." The list outlines which immigrant populations receive the highest levels of government assistance in the United States.
According to a 2025 report by the Pew Research Center, the Bangladeshi population in the US has grown sharply over the past two decades. The population increased from 40,000 in 2000 to 270,000 in 2023, marking a growth of 569 per cent.
Countries with the highest rates of government benefit usage include Bhutan, Yemen (75.2 per cent), Somalia (71.9 per cent), the Marshall Islands (71.4 per cent), the Dominican Republic (68.1 per cent), Afghanistan (68.1 per cent), Congo (66 per cent), Guinea (65.8 per cent), Samoa (63.4 per cent), and Cape Verde (63.1 per cent).
Countries and regions with the lowest rates of government benefit usage include Bermuda (25.5 per cent), Saudi Arabia (25.7 per cent), Israel/Palestine (25.9 per cent), Argentina (26.2 per cent), South America (26.7 per cent), Korea (27.2 per cent), Zambia (28 per cent), Portugal (28.2 per cent), Kenya (28.5 per cent), and Lithuania (29.2 per cent).
