Expatriates make up 69% of the total population, annual report says
Dubai: Every 5.22 minutes, Kuwait gains a new resident. Whether through births, new arrivals or natural growth, the country’s population has steadily climbed to 4,987,826 by the end of 2024, according to the World Population Review 2025.
Expatriates make up 69 per cent of the total population, with 1.1 million Arab expatriates, 1.4 million from Asian countries, and the remainder from other nationalities, including the Bidoon (People without proper documents) community.
The annual report, sourced from the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Kuwait’s Central Statistical Bureau, ranks Kuwait 52nd globally in population growth, accounting for 0.06 per cent of the world’s total.
Expatriates make up 69% of Kuwait’s total population, including:
1.1 million Arab expatriates
1.4 million Asian expatriates
Migration continues to shape Kuwait’s demographics, with:
One birth every 10.92 minutes
One death every 57.6 minutes
One new arrival every 8.52 minutes
Land and population density
Kuwait spans 17,818 square kilometers, ranking 157th globally in size. However, its population density is high, placing 37th worldwide, with 237 people per square kilometer.
Health and life expectancy
Strong health indicators:
Average life expectancy: 78.2 years
Maternal mortality rate: 4 deaths per 100,000 live births
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 live births
Employment and economic participation
While expatriates dominate the labour force, Kuwaitis make up just 31% of the total population, though their growth rate is slightly higher at 2.65%.
Key workforce statistics:
504,878 Kuwaitis are employed vs. 2,560,252 non-Kuwaitis
501,088 Kuwaitis and 342,161 non-Kuwaitis are outside the labor force
Unemployment is higher among Kuwaitis (90%) compared to non-Kuwaitis (10%)
Economic activity participation: 47% among Kuwaitis, 84% among non-Kuwaitis
Changing family structures and future projections
Kuwaiti families tend to be larger, averaging seven members per household, compared to just two members per non-Kuwaiti family.
The fertility rate for 2024 stands at 2.48 children per woman, but projections suggest a decline to 2.1 children per woman by 2035. The proportion of young Kuwaitis is also expected to decrease, signaling long-term shifts in workforce strategies.
Kuwait has long been a destination for foreign workers, particularly in the private sector, where 96 per cent of employees are non-Kuwaitis, in contrast to 78 per cent Kuwaiti employment in government jobs.
The country once recorded the third-highest net migration rate globally in 2007, a trend that continues today as expatriates seek economic opportunities fuelled by Kuwait’s oil wealth and high living standards.
As the government looks to rebalance the workforce, discussions on reducing dependence on foreign labor have intensified.
Yet, with a birth occurring every 10.92 minutes, a death every 57.6 minutes, and a new arrival every 8.52 minutes, Kuwait’s demographic makeup remains firmly shaped by migration patterns.
Kuwait’s fertility rate for 2024 stood at 2.48 children per woman, but projections indicate a decline to 2.1 children per woman by 2035. Meanwhile, the country faces shifting demographics as the proportion of young Kuwaitis is expected to decrease, reshaping long-term workforce strategies.
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