Al-Shal Report: Civil Status figures on national workforce differ from those of the Statistics Authority
Al-Shal reported that the total Kuwaiti workforce, as of the end of the first half of 2026, reached approximately 495,700 workers, according to data from the Public Authority for Civil Information. This figure differs from those published by the Central Statistical Bureau, and there is no explanation for the discrepancy unless the higher figure includes military personnel and the unemployed.
In its analysis of expatriate labor in Kuwait, Al-Shal stated that domestic workers account for approximately 25.6% of the total expatriate workforce. Their numbers reached about 783,900 workers by the end of the first quarter of 2026, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s tables, representing an increase of about 5.2% compared to 745,100 workers at the end of the first quarter of 2025.
Specifically, this domestic workforce is distributed between approximately 450,900 female workers and 333,000 male workers.
The Philippines leads in female domestic workers, with approximately 133,200 workers (132,100 at the end of the first quarter of 2025), while India leads in male workers, with approximately 206,100 workers (213,000 at the end of the first quarter of 2025).
India tops the rankings for domestic workers of both genders, accounting for 39.1% of the total domestic workforce, followed by Sri Lanka at 17.4%. Overall, four nationalities—India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Bangladesh—account for approximately 86.1% of the total domestic workforce out of ten nationalities. The remaining six nationalities hold a maximum of 8.0% for Nepal and a minimum of 0.2% for Sudan.
Among the ten countries exporting domestic labor, four are African nations. Ethiopia leads with a share of 2.8% of this workforce, followed by Benin at approximately 1.7%, Mali at approximately 0.3%, and Sudan at approximately 0.2%, as previously mentioned.
If we merge the figures for domestic workers with other categories of expatriate labor by nationality, the total number of Indian workers would reach approximately 887,100 (883,800 at the end of the first quarter of 2025). This represents 28.9% of the total workforce, including Kuwaiti nationals, and approximately 33.7% of the total expatriate workforce, ranking first in both categories.
Egyptian workers rank second, with a total workforce of approximately 468,400 (471,800 at the end of the first quarter of 2025), accounting for 15.3% of the total workforce and approximately 17.8% of the total expatriate workforce.
Kuwaiti workers rank third, with approximately 435,600 workers (450,200 at the end of the first quarter of 2025), representing 14.2% of the total workforce. This percentage could rise if the figures in the tables included military personnel.
Bangladesh ranks fourth, with a total workforce of around 303,000 workers (278,500 at the end of the first quarter of 2025), accounting for 9.9% of the total workforce and approximately 11.5% of the total expatriate workforce. The Philippines ranks fifth, with a total workforce of approximately 196,200 workers (194,100 at the end of the first quarter of 2025), representing 6.4% of the total workforce and approximately 7.5% of the total expatriate workforce.
