Over two-third of Kuwait’s population are foreigners
Recent statistics from the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI), which provides insight into Kuwait’s population dynamics, reveals that as of the end of 2023, Kuwait’s population stood at 4,859,595. This total population comprised 3,313,387 non-Kuwaitis, representing 68.18 percent of the population, and 1,546,208 Kuwaitis, or 31.82 percent of the total number of people in the country.
The ratio of one Kuwaiti to every three foreigners has prevailed in the country for quite a while now, except during the COVID-19 period, when a large number of expatriates left the country. In 2021, following the end of the pandemic and a revival of the economy, expatriate numbers increased to levels that currently surpass the pre-COVID era.
Despite the government’s Kuwaitization drive and other measures intended to balance the demographic equation, a heavy influx of foreign workers, along with a falling birth-rate among citizens, has ensured that the population continues to remain tilted in favor of foreigners.
Other population data from PACI reveals that although the heterogenous expatriate population represented nationals from over 100 countries, the vast majority were from just a handful of nations. Indians constituted the largest expatriate group, comprising 21 percent of the total population, and 30 percent of all expatriates. In second spot were Egyptians, who accounted for 13 percent of the total population and 19 percent of all expatriates.
Other major nationalities contributing to Kuwait’s diverse demographic makeup included: Bangladeshis, representing 6 percent of the total population, Filipinos (4); Syrians, Sri Lankans, and Saudi Arabians (each representing 3%), and Nepalis and Pakistanis each accounting for 2 percent of total population.
