Cairo: The number of foreign workers in Kuwait dropped by around 134,000 at the end of last year compared to 2020, according to official figures.
The country’s overall workforce in both public and private sectors stood at 1.8 million at the end of December last year against 1.9 million the previous year, figures from the state Central Statistical Bureau showed.
The number of non-Kuwaiti workers dropped to 1.4 million, marking a decrease of around 134,000 compared to the year 2020.
Meanwhile, the number of Kuwaiti labour rose to 430,128 at the end of last year, an increase of 24,000 against 2020.
The figures showed that Egyptians continued to lead the expatriate workforce in Kuwait with 451,000 followed by Indian labour with 437,116 while the Kuwaitis rank the third with 430,128.
The decline in expatriate labour in Kuwait is believed to have been due to economic fallout from COVID-19.
Foreigners make up nearly 3.4 million of Kuwait’s overall population of 4.6 million.
In recent months, there have been increasing calls in Kuwait for curbing foreigners’ employment along accusations that migrant workers have strained the country’s infrastructure facilities.
