Kuwait ranks 33rd globally in human capital among 1,000 cities
Kuwait ranked 33rd globally in the Human Capital category within the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2026, securing an advanced position that reflects the strength of its educational and demographic assets and business environment, and placing it among the cities with strong global performance in this field.
The index bases its classifications on a database of 1,000 cities included in Oxford’s Global Economic Forecasting service, enabling comparisons of city performance across a wide range of economic, human, social, environmental, and governance indicators, and identifying the cities best positioned to achieve sustainable growth and enhance their competitiveness in the future.
Kuwait’s performance in the index stands out against the backdrop of notable progress achieved by Middle Eastern cities in the area of human capital. This year, four major cities—Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, and Riyadh—secured places in the global top 20 list in this category, driven by their ability to attract large numbers of young and skilled workers from around the world, alongside the expansion of advanced service sectors.
The index indicates that human capital is a fundamental driver of economic growth, given the reciprocal relationship between the availability of competencies and skills on one hand, and cities’ ability to attract investments and high-value-added economic activities on the other. Cities that move up the economic value chain become better equipped to attract and retain skilled labor in the most productive and highest-paying sectors, while the strength of these sectors encourages increased investment in education and professional development, thereby raising workforce efficiency and bolstering the city’s human capital stock.
In the Middle East, the relationship between human capital and economic growth appears particularly clear, especially with the recent rise of Riyadh and Dubai. Between 2010 and 2025, Riyadh added jobs in the financial and business services sectors exceeding the combined total added by Germany’s largest cities, contributing to its enhanced attractiveness for talent and investment and supporting its advancement in the human capital rankings.
The index notes that demographic composition is also a supporting factor for the performance of Middle Eastern cities. The region is characterized by a lower proportion of the population aged 65 and above compared to several other regions, with the exception of Africa, providing a young population base that supports workforce expansion, economic activity, and consumption, and increasing opportunities for growth and investment in the coming decades.
From this perspective, the index suggests that cities capable of deploying their skill base and qualified workforce in high-value-added economic sectors are among the best positioned to strengthen their status as regional growth centers in the coming decades.
The Human Capital sub-index measures a city’s ability to provide, attract, and develop the competencies necessary to support economic activity. It is not limited to education levels alone, but integrates the educational environment, the business environment, and the city’s demographic characteristics.
This includes population growth projections for the next five years, the age structure of the population through a comparison of the proportion of those aged 65 and above with the 15-to-64 age group, the strength and global academic ranking of university institutions, the number of headquarters of the world’s top 10,000 companies located in the city, and the level of educational attainment, measured by the average years of schooling for adults aged 25 and older and the expected years of schooling for children aged six.
In addition, the proportion of the population born outside the country is considered an indicator of a city’s ability to attract talent and labor from abroad. “Human capital” is one of five main categories underpinning the Oxford Global Cities Index, which is used to compare city performance, alongside the economy, quality of life, environment, and governance. The economic index measures the size and structure of a city’s economy, its historical growth rates, and future prospects.
The quality-of-life category focuses on residents’ well-being, financial and health outcomes, and the availability of amenities. The environmental category assesses the quality of the natural environment and exposure to climate-change issues, while the governance category emphasizes political stability and the protection of residents’ rights. Governance is measured at the national level, given the direct influence of central governments in this area.
