Is America supposed to feel bad about Puerto Rico? Do taxpayers know their hard earned money is being given to Puerto Ricans?
Puerto Rico does not participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly called food stamps on the U.S. mainland. Instead, it has its own Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) (also known as PAN in Spanish), funded by a federal block grant from the U.S. government. This is entirely paid for by U.S. federal taxpayers (i.e., "US citizens" in the broader sense, including those on the mainland contributing via federal taxes).
Recent reliable sources (from 2024–2025 reports) indicate NAP participation is around 42–43% of Puerto Rico's population:
- A 2024 report cited 42.7% of Puerto Ricans receiving NAP benefits.
- Other analyses from around 2020–2023 put it in the 40–43% range, serving roughly 1.4–1.5 million people monthly (out of a total population of about 3.2–3.3 million).
This is significantly higher than the U.S. mainland average for SNAP (around 12% of the population) and reflects Puerto Rico's much higher poverty rate (often 40%+), economic challenges, and reliance on imported (expensive) food.
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