Fully 51% of immigrant households receive some form of welfare, compared to 30% of US-born households

The percentage of immigrants using some form of welfare varies enormously according to the part of the world from which they come. Rates are highest for households from Central America and Mexico (73%), the Caribbean (51%), and Africa (48%). Those from East Asia (32%), Europe (26%), and South Asia (17%) have the lowest rates. A majority of US-born black and Hispanic households are on some form of means-tested welfare, compared to just 23% of US-born white households. A striking 82% of black households with children receive welfare – double the white rate. Hispanic families are not far behind blacks. Among the US-born population, blacks receive cash handouts at more than three times the white rate; Hispanics at more than twice the white rate. Among all households, US-born blacks and Hispanics receive food handouts at three times the white rate; for Hispanic immigrants, the figure is four times the white rate. Among households with children, nearly all immigrant Hispanics – 86% – get food aid. US-born blacks and Hispanics aren’t far behind, with rates of 75% and 72%, respectively. US-born Hispanics and blacks, especially, are also heavy users of housing assistance. Among households with children, US-born Hispanics use these programs at nearly four times the white rate and blacks at seven times the white rate. There are 39.88 million households in the United States receiving some sort of means-tested welfare.