47.6% of Kuwaiti citizens are employed in three activities in the private sector

The quarterly report on the labor market system, issued by the Central Statistical Organization based on data as of March 31, 2026, outlined labor market trends, revealing that the public sector continues to employ the largest share of Kuwaiti nationals. The report also showed that more than 47.6 percent of national workers in the private sector were concentrated in three economic activities: financial activities and insurance activities ranked first, wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles ranked second, and professional, scientific, and technical activities ranked third.

The report added that the total number of insured Kuwaitis was approximately 435,600 nationals, with the public sector accounting for the largest share at 322,100 nationals, representing 73.9 percent of the total insured national workforce.

According to the data, the number of insured Kuwaiti females reached 247,400, compared to 188,100 male nationals, reflecting the rising participation of Kuwaiti women in the labor market, as women accounted for approximately 57 percent of the total insured workforce.

The private sector ranked second after the public sector in attracting national labor, employing 44,500 nationals (10.2 percent), distributed among 27,200 males and 17,300 females.

The number of Kuwaitis working in the state-owned oil sector reached approximately 20,200 nationals, representing 4.6 percent of the total insured workforce, while the private oil sector recorded approximately 1,300 nationals, accounting for 0.3 percent.

Additionally, the number of Kuwaitis registered under the self-employed category ("Fifth Door") reached approximately 19,700 nationals, representing 4.5 percent of the total insured Kuwaiti workforce.

In the overall labor market picture, data showed that the total workforce in Kuwait rose to 3.065 million workers across various sectors by the end of the first quarter of 2026, an annual increase of 108,300 workers, representing a growth rate of 3.7 percent.

Excluding the household sector, the total workforce reached 2.28 million workers, compared to 2.21 million in March 2025, an increase of 69,500 workers and an annual growth rate of 3.1 percent.

The rise in employment was driven by an increase in the number of non-Kuwaiti workers, who recorded an annual growth of 4.8 percent to reach 1.85 million workers, while the Kuwaiti workforce declined by 3.3 percent to 435,500 workers, down from 450,200 in March 2025.

Kuwaitis accounted for 19.1 percent of the total workforce excluding the household sector, compared to 80.9 percent for non-Kuwaiti workers, reflecting the continued reliance of the Kuwaiti labor market on expatriate labor, particularly in the private and household sectors.

The private sector held the largest share of the total workforce in the country at 58.7 percent, followed by the household sector at 25.5 percent, and the public sector at 15.8 percent.

Data showed that 83.1 percent of workers in the public sector were Kuwaitis, while the majority of non-Kuwaiti workers were concentrated in the private sector, where 65.6 percent of the total non-Kuwaiti workforce was employed, and 29.8 percent worked in the household sector.

Indian nationals continued to top the list of the largest nationalities working in Kuwait, with 580,400 workers, representing 25.5 percent of the total workforce excluding the household sector.

Egyptian nationals ranked second with 467,500 workers, accounting for 20.5 percent, followed by Kuwaiti workers at 435,500, or 19.1 percent. The list of the largest nationalities in the workforce also included Bangladesh, Nepal, Syria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Jordan, and Sri Lanka.

Including the domestic sector, the total number of workers rose to 3.065 million. Indian nationals maintained their position at the top with 887,060 workers, followed by Egyptian and then Kuwaiti nationals.

By country groups, non-Arab Asian countries accounted for the largest share of the labor market at 48.8 percent, followed by other Arab countries at 28.4 percent, while Kuwaiti workers ranked third at 19.1 percent.

At the level of government entities, the Ministry of Education topped the list of the largest employers with a total of 145,700 employees, followed by the Ministry of Health with 77,800 employees, and the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy with 35,600 employees.

Meanwhile, the average monthly salary for non-Kuwaitis stood at 352 dinars, distributed between 729 dinars in the public sector and 326 dinars in the private sector.

The average salary for Kuwaiti males was recorded at 1,877 dinars, compared to 1,376 dinars for females, while the average salary for non-Kuwaiti males was 327 dinars, compared to 512 dinars for females.

By sector, the average salary for Kuwaiti males in the public sector was 1,929 dinars, compared to 1,681 dinars in the private sector, while the average salary for Kuwaiti females was 1,414 dinars in the public sector and 1,140 dinars in the private sector.

The total non-Kuwaiti workforce in the domestic sector reached approximately 783,900 workers by the end of the first quarter of this year, including 450,900 females (57.5 percent) and 332,900 males (42.5 percent).

The age group of 35 to 39 years topped the domestic sector workforce with a total of 146,400 workers, followed by the 40 to 44 age group with 138,400 workers.

Data indicated that the proportion of Kuwaitis with university and post-university qualifications rose to 56 percent in March 2026, compared to 54.5 percent in March 2025.

Conversely, the proportion of non-Kuwaitis with university and post-university qualifications stood at around 15 percent, while the proportion of those who could "read and write" rose to 2.7 percent.

National employment in the private sector was concentrated in financial activities and insurance activities, accounting for 20.5 percent, followed by wholesale and retail trade and vehicle repair at 13.8 percent, and professional, scientific, and technical activities at 13.3 percent.

As for non-Kuwaiti employment in the private sector, 45.7 percent was concentrated in three main activities: wholesale and retail trade and vehicle repair led with 21.4 percent, followed by accommodation and food services at 12.4 percent, and manufacturing at 11.9 percent.

1 - 83.1 percent of workers in the "public" sector are Kuwaitis

4 - The "private" sector accounts for 58.7 percent of total employment in Kuwait