Employment by status in Kuwait

Kuwait: Employment by status was 96.9% in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
96.9%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
3rd
of 186 countries
All-time high
98.9%
in 2013
All-time low
93.6%
in 1991
Years of data
34
1991–2024

Employment by status in Kuwait, 1991–2024

0204060801001991200720241991: 93.6 %1992: 94.2 %1993: 94.9 %1994: 95.4 %1995: 95.9 %1996: 96.3 %1997: 96.4 %1998: 96.4 %1999: 96.5 %2000: 96.7 %2001: 96.6 %2002: 96.6 %2003: 96.7 %2004: 97 %2005: 97.3 %2006: 97.8 %2007: 98.2 %2008: 98.6 %2009: 98.5 %2010: 98.5 %2011: 98.7 %2012: 98.9 %2013: 98.9 %2014: 98.8 %2015: 98.8 %2016: 98.2 %2017: 98.1 %2018: 98 %2019: 97.8 %2020: 97.3 %2021: 97.2 %2022: 97.3 %2023: 97.1 %2024: 96.9 %

Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for employment by status in Kuwait is 96.9%, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment by status in Kuwait peaked at 98.9% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 93.6%, in 1991.

Kuwait ranks 3rd of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 95.5% 93.6% 96.5% 9
2000s 97.4% 96.6% 98.6% 10
2010s 98.5% 97.8% 98.9% 10
2020s 97.1% 96.9% 97.3% 5

Countries ranked near Kuwait

  1. 1 Qatar 99.2% compare
  2. 2 Bahrain 97.5% compare
  3. 4 Norway 95.1% compare
  4. 5 Oman 95.0% compare
  5. 6 United Arab Emirates 94.9% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Kuwait

All data for Kuwait →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment by status in Kuwait?
Employment by status in Kuwait was 96.9% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest employment by status recorded in Kuwait?
The highest recorded value was 98.9% in 2013.
What is the lowest employment by status recorded in Kuwait?
The lowest recorded value was 93.6% in 1991.
How does Kuwait rank for employment by status?
Kuwait ranks 3rd out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
Is employment by status rising or falling in Kuwait?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Kuwait data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment by status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Employment by status
Unit
%
Source
International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,257 data points, 1991–2024
Last refreshed

Share of people in employment working as employees, as a percentage of total employment.