Male labor force participation rate in Kuwait
Kuwait: Male labor force participation rate was 88.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Male labor force participation rate in Kuwait, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kuwait recorded 88.6% for male labor force participation rate in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, male labor force participation rate in Kuwait peaked at 88.8% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 79.3%, in 1992.
That places Kuwait 3rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Male labor force participation rate in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 81.0% | — |
| 1991 | 80.0% | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 79.3% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 79.6% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 81.5% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 82.8% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 82.5% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 81.5% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 80.6% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 79.9% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 79.6% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 79.6% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 79.9% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 80.5% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 81.6% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 82.2% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 82.3% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 82.4% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 82.7% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 83.2% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 83.9% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 85.0% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 86.0% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 86.6% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 86.9% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 87.2% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 87.3% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 87.5% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 87.4% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 87.1% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 82.7% | -5.1% |
| 2021 | 84.3% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 88.6% | +5.2% |
| 2023 | 88.8% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 88.7% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 88.6% | -0.2% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 88.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 68.8%, 1.3× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 88.6% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 69.8%, 1.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 80.9% | 79.3% | 82.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 81.4% | 79.6% | 83.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 86.5% | 83.9% | 87.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 86.9% | 82.7% | 88.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 1 Qatar 95.6% compare
- 2 United Arab Emirates 91.5% compare
- 4 Oman 88.1% compare
- 5 Madagascar 88.1% compare
- 6 Cambodia 87.8% compare
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 male labor force participation rate in Kuwait?
- Male labor force participation rate in Kuwait was 88.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest male labor force participation rate recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 88.8% in 2023.
- What is the lowest male labor force participation rate recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 79.3% in 1992.
- How does Kuwait rank for male labor force participation rate?
- Kuwait ranks 3rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is male labor force participation rate rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Male labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the male working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).