Who are Mitt Romney's 47 percent?

Mitt Romney
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks at a fundraiser in Atlanta, Georgia on September 19, 2012.
NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Who are the "47 percent of Americans" who Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says pay no income taxes?

A study by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center says 46 percent of U.S. households paid no federal income tax last year.

About 22 percent were senior citizens who got tax breaks that offset their income. Some 15 percent are working poor or low-income parents. And almost 3 percent received tax breaks for college tuition or other education expenses.

The Tax Policy Center says 9 out of 10 households that didn't owe in 2011 made $50,000 or less. But 4,000 households earning more than $1 million a year didn't pay federal income tax.

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Romney made the "47 percent" comment during a private fundraising speech in Florida that was secretly recorded on video.

"I recognize that among those that pay no tax...I'm not likely to be highly successful with the message of lowering taxes," Romney said. "That's not as attractive to those who don't pay income taxes as it is to those who do. And likewise those who are reliant on government are not as attracted to my message of slimming down the size of government."

President Barack Obama responded during an appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman."

"One thing I've learned as president is that you represent the entire country," he said. As for Romney's statement about the 47 percent, he said, "There are not a lot of people out there who think they are victims" or simply entitled.

And who are the people who get federal benefits?

The most recent Census Bureau data says the largest group is the 26 percent of Americans who receive Medicaid. Sixteen percent get Social Security and 16 percent receive food stamps. Medicare goes to 16 percent of the U.S. population and 8 percent are in the Women, Infants and Children food program known as WIC.