Over 900,000 Kuwaitis and Residents Outside the Labour Force
Kuwait’s non-labour-force population includes more than 523,000 citizens and 378,000 expatriates, official data shows
Around 901,800 Kuwaitis and residents are classified as being outside the labour force, accounting for nearly 17 percent of Kuwait’s total population of approximately 5.31 million, according to official population and labour data.
The figures, based on data from the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI), cover people aged 15 and above who are neither employed nor actively seeking employment. Kuwaiti citizens constitute the majority of those outside the labour force, numbering 523,146, or around 58 percent of the total. The figure comprises 255,972 Kuwaiti men and 267,174 Kuwaiti women.
Expatriates account for 378,673 people, including 106,107 men and 272,566 women.
Students form the largest group
Students aged 15 and above represent the largest category among those outside the labour force, numbering 532,553. Kuwaiti students account for 310,450, including 153,701 males and 156,749 females. Expatriate students number 222,103, comprising 105,199 males and 116,904 females.
The second-largest category is retirees receiving income, with 192,556 people. Kuwaitis account for the overwhelming majority of this group, at 185,918, while expatriates number 6,638. The data also identifies 176,710 women engaged in household duties as being outside the labour force. Kuwaiti women account for 26,778, while expatriate women number 149,932.
Working-age population
Kuwait’s population aged 15 and above stands at approximately 4.44 million, comprising around 1.08 million Kuwaitis and 3.36 million expatriates.mMeanwhile, people below the age of 15 number approximately 870,609, including 487,929 Kuwaitis and 382,680 expatriates.
Expatriates dominate labour market
The total labour force in Kuwait is estimated at around 3.3 million people. Kuwaitis account for approximately 495,697, while expatriates make up the overwhelming majority at around 2.8 million. The number of employed people stands at approximately 3.264 million, including 463,900 Kuwaitis and around 2.8 million expatriates.
The data puts the total number of unemployed people at 36,898, of whom 31,794 are Kuwaitis and 5,104 are expatriates. The figures underline the contrasting structure of Kuwait’s labour market, where expatriates constitute the majority of the active workforce, while a significant proportion of citizens are classified outside the labour force due to retirement, education or household responsibilities.
