Salmiya tops Kuwait’s most populated areas

Dubai: Salmiya, Farwaniya, and Jleeb Al Shuyoukh have been turned out to be the most densely populated areas in Kuwait, according to newly released data by the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI).

The PACI report identifies Salmiya as the most populous district in the country, home to 321,190 residents, followed closely by Farwaniya, Jleeb Al Shuyoukh, and Hawalli. Mahboula rounds out the top five with 218,153 residents.

The latest figures place Kuwait’s overall population at 4.9 million as of last year, with Kuwaiti nationals accounting for only 31 percent.

Equally important, the demographic breakdown shows a stark contrast between citizens and expatriates in terms of gender distribution: Kuwaiti citizens are nearly evenly split between 49 percent male and 51 percent female, while non-Kuwaitis are overwhelmingly male (66 percent).

The age structure of the population is heavily skewed toward working-age adults. Individuals aged 15 to 64 represent 80 percent of Kuwait’s total population, while children under 15 make up 17 percent, and seniors aged 65 and above constitute just 3 percent.

Kuwait’s labor market also reflects significant demographic trends. The total workforce reached 2.25 million across both public and private sectors. Of these, only 23 percent (517,022 workers) were employed in the public sector, while the private sector absorbed 77 percent (1.73 million workers).

A closer look at public employment reveals a heavy national presence: Kuwaitis comprise 77.5 percent of all government workers. Among expatriates, Egyptians lead at 7.25 percent, followed by Indians at 4.42 percent.

The opposite is true in the private sector, where Indian nationals dominate at 31.1 percent, followed by Egyptians at 25.4 percent. Kuwaitis represent just 4.1 percent of the private workforce.