KUWAIT CITY, July 21:  The local labor market in Kuwait saw a 3 percent increase in the overall workforce, excluding the family sector (domestic workers and similar roles), reaching a total of 2.211 million workers by March 2025. This marks an increase of 64,403 individuals compared to the same period last year, according to the latest report released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) for the first quarter of 2025.

The report revealed a 1.6 percent decline in the number of Kuwaiti nationals employed, with the workforce contracting by 7,334 workers to a total of 450,233 citizens. The national participation rate in the labor market stood at 20.4 percent. Despite the drop in numbers, the educational attainment of the national workforce improved, with university graduates constituting 54.4 percent as of March 2025, compared to only 8.1 percent holding secondary school certificates.

Kuwaiti nationals remain heavily concentrated in the government sector, representing 83.8 percent of government employees, although their numbers declined to 377,232 in the first quarter. In the private sector, more than 43.9 percent of Kuwaiti workers are employed in just three main industries: financial and insurance activities (19.4%), wholesale and retail trade (12.9%), and accommodation and food services (11.6%).

The report also highlighted low national participation in certain economic activities, including water supply and sanitation, waste management, electricity and gas services, arts and entertainment, as well as agriculture, forestry, and fishing.

The number of expatriate workers increased by 71,737 individuals, a 4.2 percent rise over the last year. Indian nationals remain the largest group, numbering 572,300 workers, an increase of 32,802 compared to the previous year. The Egyptian workforce came second with 47,086 workers, despite a decline of 4,224.

Expatriates dominate the private sector workforce, accounting for 66.3 percent (about 1.661 million workers), and represent 29.7 percent of the family sector, where shifts in nationality patterns have been observed. Notably, the percentage of Filipino domestic workers has decreased, while the numbers of Nepalese and some African nationalities have increased.

Educationally, expatriate workers mostly hold intermediate certificates, making up 48.9 percent of the labor market, while university degree holders constitute only 15 percent.

Over the past year, the workforce changes by nationality include: