Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Kuwait
Kuwait: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates was 53.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Kuwait, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kuwait recorded 53.3% for ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Kuwait peaked at 57.0% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 51.1%, in 1990.
That places Kuwait 156th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 51.1% | — |
| 1991 | 51.5% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 51.3% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 51.7% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 52.0% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 52.0% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 52.9% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 53.6% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 54.3% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 55.0% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 55.5% | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 56.0% | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 56.3% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 56.6% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 56.3% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 56.0% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 55.9% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 55.9% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 56.0% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 56.1% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 56.4% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 56.7% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 56.9% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 56.9% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 57.0% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 56.9% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 56.7% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 57.0% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 56.8% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 56.6% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 56.3% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 56.4% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 56.0% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 54.2% | -3.1% |
| 2024 | 53.3% | -1.6% |
| 2025 | 53.3% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 52.5% | 51.1% | 55.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.1% | 55.5% | 56.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.8% | 56.4% | 57.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.9% | 53.3% | 56.4% | 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 ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Kuwait?
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates in Kuwait was 53.3% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest ratio of female to male labor force participation rates recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 57.0% in 2014.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male labor force participation rates recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.1% in 1990.
- How does Kuwait rank for ratio of female to male labor force participation rates?
- Kuwait ranks 156th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ratio of female to male labor force participation rates rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (ILOEST/ILOSTAT) and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Ratio of female to male labor force participation rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This ratio is calculated by dividing the labor force participation rate among women by the corresponding rate for men. The labor force participation rate is the share of the working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).