Employment in Kuwait
Kuwait: Employment was 2,959 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in Kuwait, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment in Kuwait is 2,959, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 39.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Kuwait peaked at 2,959 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 557.07, in 1991.
Kuwait ranks 107th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 557.07 | — |
| 1992 | 671.61 | +20.6% |
| 1993 | 700.94 | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 725.23 | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 748.33 | +3.2% |
| 1996 | 774.82 | +3.5% |
| 1997 | 802.8 | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 833.32 | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 866.85 | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 902.92 | +4.2% |
| 2001 | 943.44 | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 984.25 | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 1,028 | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 1,072 | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 1,130 | +5.5% |
| 2006 | 1,200 | +6.2% |
| 2007 | 1,273 | +6.1% |
| 2008 | 1,350 | +6.1% |
| 2009 | 1,438 | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 1,529 | +6.3% |
| 2011 | 1,658 | +8.5% |
| 2012 | 1,799 | +8.5% |
| 2013 | 1,904 | +5.8% |
| 2014 | 1,996 | +4.9% |
| 2015 | 2,121 | +6.2% |
| 2016 | 2,233 | +5.3% |
| 2017 | 2,344 | +5.0% |
| 2018 | 2,455 | +4.8% |
| 2019 | 2,523 | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 2,333 | -7.6% |
| 2021 | 2,387 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 2,698 | +13.0% |
| 2023 | 2,853 | +5.7% |
| 2024 | 2,905 | +1.8% |
| 2025 | 2,959 | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 742.33 | 557.07 | 866.85 | 9 |
| 2000s | 1,132 | 902.92 | 1,438 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,056 | 1,529 | 2,523 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,689 | 2,333 | 2,959 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
More work & labour data for Kuwait
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.801 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.7211 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.9054 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2002)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.4407 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 5,644 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 0 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,171 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 5,431 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 9,602 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Kuwait?
- Employment in Kuwait was 2,959 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 2,959 in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 557.07 in 1991.
- How does Kuwait rank for employment?
- Kuwait ranks 107th out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.