Labor force, total in Kuwait
Kuwait: Labor force, total was 2.93 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total in Kuwait, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force, total in Kuwait stood at 2.93 million.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and up 35.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in Kuwait peaked at 2.95 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 562,036, in 1991.
That places Kuwait 112th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 743,080 | 562,036 | 872,956 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.15 million | 910,204 | 1.46 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.10 million | 1.56 million | 2.58 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.74 million | 2.42 million | 2.95 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 109 El Salvador 2.99 million compare
- 110 Togo 2.96 million compare
- 111 Sierra Leone 2.93 million compare
- 113 Ireland 2.91 million compare
- 114 Finland 2.89 million compare
- 115 Kyrgyzstan 2.87 million compare
More education data for Kuwait
- Lower secondary school starting age 11 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 18.0% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 78.9% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 82.4% (2021)
- Primary education, teachers 32,782 (2021)
- School enrollment, primary, female 88.7% (2021)
- School enrollment, primary, male 77.0% (2021)
- Labor force, female 23.6% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index 1.15 GPI (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in Kuwait?
- Labor force, total in Kuwait was 2.93 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 2.95 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 562,036 in 1991.
- How does Kuwait rank for labor force, total?
- Kuwait ranks 112th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as part of Labor force, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.