Unemployment rate in Kuwait
Kuwait: Unemployment rate was 2.18 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
2.18
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
167th
of 186 countries
All-time high
3.49
in 2020
All-time low
0.694
in 1995
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Kuwait, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Kuwait stood at 2.18.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Kuwait peaked at 3.49 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.694, in 1995.
Kuwait ranks 167th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 0.884 | — |
| 1992 | 0.878 | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 0.8 | -8.9% |
| 1994 | 0.7 | -12.5% |
| 1995 | 0.694 | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 0.7 | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 0.7 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.7 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.7 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.8 | +14.3% |
| 2001 | 0.8 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1.1 | +37.5% |
| 2003 | 1.3 | +18.2% |
| 2004 | 1.7 | +30.8% |
| 2005 | 1.46 | -14.4% |
| 2006 | 1.3 | -10.7% |
| 2007 | 1.5 | +15.4% |
| 2008 | 1.75 | +16.7% |
| 2009 | 1.64 | -6.3% |
| 2010 | 1.82 | +11.0% |
| 2011 | 2.05 | +12.7% |
| 2012 | 2.23 | +8.6% |
| 2013 | 2.46 | +10.7% |
| 2014 | 2.9 | +17.6% |
| 2015 | 2.2 | -24.1% |
| 2016 | 2.16 | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 2.23 | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 2.2 | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 2.21 | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 3.49 | +57.7% |
| 2021 | 2.97 | -14.9% |
| 2022 | 2.13 | -28.2% |
| 2023 | 2.08 | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 2.15 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | 2.18 | +1.4% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 2.18 is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.04, 43% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 2.18 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 9, 24% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.7507 | 0.694 | 0.884 | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.33 | 0.8 | 1.75 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.25 | 1.82 | 2.9 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.5 | 2.08 | 3.49 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 164 Macao 2.35 compare
- 165 Cote d'Ivoire 2.32 compare
- 166 Philippines 2.23 compare
- 168 United Arab Emirates 2.17 compare
- 169 Russia 2.13 compare
- 170 Tonga 2.01 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 unemployment rate in Kuwait?
- Unemployment rate in Kuwait was 2.18 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 3.49 in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.694 in 1995.
- How does Kuwait rank for unemployment rate?
- Kuwait ranks 167th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).