Fact checking a viral chart on US food stamps recipients’ race, ethnicity

With millions of radical successful the United States astatine hazard of losing entree to the national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – besides known arsenic nutrient stamps – from November 1, a viral illustration has claimed to amusement the bulk of the nation’s nutrient stamp recipients are non-white and noncitizens.

The chart, titled Food Stamps by Ethnicity, listed 36 groups of radical and said it showed the “percentage of US households receiving SNAP benefits”.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Trump rules retired VP tally successful 2028, but says helium ‘would love’ a 3rd term
• list 2 of 4US kills 14 radical successful 3 strikes connected alleged drug-smuggling boats
• list 3 of 4Trump medication strips Nigerian Nobel victor Wole Soyinka of US visa
• list 4 of 4As Trump and Xi adjacent deal, fewer spot letup successful heated US-China rivalry

The groups were labelled by nationality, specified arsenic “Afghan”, “Somali”, “Iraqi”, on with the radical groups “white”, “Black” and “native”. The illustration appeared to amusement that Afghan radical were the largest radical receiving SNAP benefits, astatine 45.6 percent, followed by Somali (42.4 percent) and Iraqi (34.8 percent). White people, represented connected the illustration with the US flag, were 3rd to past astatine 8.6 percent.

The national government shutdown, which started connected October 1, is the origin of the looming SNAP backing lapse. SNAP provides nutrient purchasing benefits to low-income households. Conservatives person peddled the misleading communicative that Democrats are pushing for healthcare for undocumented migrants, and radical commenting connected the illustration rehashed a akin talking point.

“Who is getting their EBT cut?” work the caption of an October 25 X station sharing the chart, which had 3.1 cardinal views arsenic of October 27. EBT stands for Electronic Benefits Transfer, which is simply a SNAP outgo system.

“Only 18.7% of EBT oregon nutrient stamp recipients are American. Let that descend successful …” work different station sharing the chart, seemingly mistakenly referring to the fig adjacent to the connection “Armenian”; determination was nary “American” class successful the chart. “We are subsidizing foreigners connected the taxpayers dime.”

Who is getting their EBT chopped pic.twitter.com/el8x9X5iVX

— The General (@1776General_) October 25, 2025

The illustration doesn’t amusement the afloat representation of SNAP recipients by contention oregon ethnicity. The astir reliable root for the breakdown of SNAP recipients by demographics comes from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers the programme.

According to the astir caller USDA information available, from 2023, achromatic radical are the largest radical radical receiving SNAP benefits, astatine 35.4 percent. African Americans are next, making up 25.7 percent of recipients, past Hispanic radical astatine 15.6 percent, Asian radical astatine 3.9 percent, Native Americans astatine 1.3 percent and multiracial radical astatine 1 percent. The contention of 17 percent of participants is unknown.

The aforesaid study recovered that 89.4 percent of SNAP recipients were US-born citizens, meaning little than 11 percent of SNAP participants were foreign-born. Of the second figure, 6.2 percent were naturalised citizens, 1.1 percent were refugees and 3.3 percent were different noncitizens, including lawful imperishable residents and different eligible noncitizens.

While ample shares of the groups listed successful the illustration whitethorn person nutrient stamps, “they are surely a tiny stock of the households and spending connected SNAP”, said Tracy Roof, University of Richmond subordinate prof of governmental science.

Survey information shows an incomplete representation connected SNAP recipients

The illustration shared connected societal media originated from a June blog station from The Personal Finance Wizards, which cited “US Census Table S0201” arsenic its source. The tract offers fiscal advice, but published a disclaimer saying it cannot warrant the “completeness, accuracy, oregon reliability” of its information.

The site’s authors appeared to cherry-pick groups to see successful the chart, noting, “It’s important to enactment that the graph highlights a enactment of ethnicities we felt would beryllium astir applicable and engaging for our audience.” It did not sanction an author.

In a remark connected an Instagram station sharing the chart, Personal Finance Wizards shared a nexus to the US Census array it used. It shows information from the 2024 American Community Survey, filtered by 49 radical and taste groups. The filtered groups don’t wholly overlap with the groups successful the chart, but the dataset has a file for “households with nutrient stamp/SNAP benefits”, which shows percentages akin to the ones successful the chart.

The information does not amusement what percent of each SNAP beneficiaries beryllium to an taste oregon nationality group.

Joseph Llobrera, elder manager of probe for the nutrient assistance squad astatine the wide deliberation vessel Center connected Budget and Policy Priorities, said the illustration appeared to amusement the shares of households receiving SNAP based connected the household respondents’ reported ancestry, which is antithetic from citizenship status.

“Without context, this graphic is misleading and whitethorn pb immoderate to reason that galore non-citizens are participating successful SNAP, which is not true,” helium said.

The American Community Survey allows respondents to self-identify their race. It besides defines ancestry arsenic a “person’s taste root oregon descent, roots oregon heritage, spot of birth, oregon spot of parents’ ancestors earlier their accomplishment successful the United States”.

Colleen Heflin, Syracuse University adept connected nutrient insecurity, nutrition and payment policy, said the American Community Survey information connected SNAP receipts is self-reported, and that question “is known to person a large woody of measurement error” erstwhile compared with SNAP administrative data.

Groups specified arsenic Afghans and Iraqis, who are archetypal and 3rd connected the chart, would person been much apt to person instantly qualified for the SNAP programme earlier the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s transition due to the fact that of their peculiar migration status.

Before the law’s passage, refugees and radical who had been granted asylum were besides eligible for SNAP without a waiting period. Somalis, who were 2nd connected the chart, are “more likely” to suffice based connected those criteria, Roof said.

Other noncitizens, specified arsenic lawful imperishable residents, could beryllium eligible for SNAP lone aft a five-year waiting period.

But the transition of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act changed the eligibility, making refugees and asylum seekers ineligible. Immigrants successful the state illegally are not and person ne'er been eligible for SNAP.