Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Kuwait

Kuwait: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) was 73.8% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
73.8%
Change on year
down 2.8%
World rank
22nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
77.9%
in 2006
All-time low
53.9%
in 1975
Years of data
20
1965–2016

Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Kuwait, 1965–2016

0204060801965199020161965: 62.91970: 57.41975: 53.91980: 60.51983: 551985: 62.51988: 60.51995: 681996: 54.41997: 55.12003: 66.32005: 69.62006: 77.92007: 77.42008: 69.32009: 76.42010: 76.92011: 77.12015: 75.92016: 73.8

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

In 2016, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Kuwait stood at 73.8%.

That represents a change of down 2.8% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Kuwait peaked at 77.9% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 53.9%, in 1975.

That places Kuwait 22nd out of 199 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.

Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Kuwait, year by year

Annual values for Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national estimate) in Kuwait, 1965 to 2016.
Year Value Change
1965 62.9%
1970 57.4% -8.8%
1975 53.9% -6.1%
1980 60.5% +12.3%
1983 55.0% -9.0%
1985 62.5% +13.6%
1988 60.5% -3.2%
1995 68.0% +12.3%
1996 54.4% -19.9%
1997 55.1% +1.2%
2003 66.3% +20.4%
2005 69.6% +5.0%
2006 77.9% +11.9%
2007 77.4% -0.6%
2008 69.3% -10.5%
2009 76.4% +10.3%
2010 76.9% +0.6%
2011 77.1% +0.3%
2015 75.9% -1.5%
2016 73.8% -2.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 62.9% 62.9% 62.9% 1
1970s 55.6% 53.9% 57.4% 2
1980s 59.6% 55.0% 62.5% 4
1990s 59.2% 54.4% 68.0% 3
2000s 72.8% 66.3% 77.9% 6
2010s 75.9% 73.8% 77.1% 4

Countries ranked near Kuwait

  1. 19 Madagascar 75.0% compare
  2. 20 Angola 74.3% compare
  3. 21 Greenland 74.1% compare
  4. 23 Cuba 72.9% compare
  5. 24 Antigua and Barbuda 72.6% compare
  6. 25 Viet Nam 72.4% compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More work & labour data for Kuwait

All data for Kuwait →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Kuwait?
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Kuwait was 73.8% in 2016, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Kuwait?
The highest recorded value was 77.9% in 2006.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Kuwait?
The lowest recorded value was 53.9% in 1975.
How does Kuwait rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
Kuwait ranks 22nd out of 199 countries with data for 2016.
Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in Kuwait?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Kuwait data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Kuwait. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labor-force-participation-rate-total-percent-of-total-population-ages-15-national-estimate/kuwait/

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
232 places, 5,713 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.