Kuwait's domestic worker population drops by 6.3%
KUWAIT CITY, March 24: Domestic workers constitute 25.3 percent of the total expatriate workforce in Kuwait, according to a report issued by the Al- Shall, Data released by the Central Statistical Bureau revealed that the number of domestic workers in Kuwait reached approximately 740,000 as of the end of the third quarter of 2024, which is a decrease of about 6.3 percent compared to the same period in 2023. These domestic workers are divided into 411,000 women and 329,000 men. The Philippines leads in the number of female domestic workers, with approximately 149,000, down from 193,000 at the end of the third quarter of 2023.
Indians top the list of male domestic workers, numbering around 219,000, which is a decrease from 251,000 at the same time last year. The Central Statistical Bureau did not explain this huge discrepancy in figures between the two years. India leads in the number of domestic workers of both sexes, accounting for 43.2 percent of the total workforce, followed by the Philippines at 20.4 percent. Overall, four nationalities - India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh - represent approximately 91.4 percent of the total number of domestic workers out of ten nationalities. The remaining six nationalities make up the other 8.6 percent, with Nepal holding the highest share of 6.1 percent and Sudan the lowest at 0.2 percent.
Among the ten countries exporting domestic workers, four are from Africa. Benin leads with one percent of the total, followed by Ethiopia at 0.8 percent, Mali at 0.3 percent, and Sudan at 0.2 percent. When combining domestic worker figures with other categories of expatriate workers by nationality, the total number of Indian workers is approximately 887,000.
Despite a decrease of around 32,000 male expatriates in the family sector, this still accounts for 30 percent of the total workforce, including Kuwaiti workers, and about 35.4 percent of the total expatriate workforce, meaning Indians lead in both categories. Egyptian workers are in second place, with a total workforce of approximately 479,000, unchanged from the end of the third quarter of 2023. They represent 16.3 percent of the total workforce and around 19.3 percent of the total expatriate workforce. Kuwaiti workers rank third, with approximately 451,000, compared to 449,000 at the end of the third quarter of 2023.
This represents 15.4 percent of the total workforce, a percentage that may increase if military personnel are included in the figures. As of the end of last December, the total Kuwaiti workforce was approximately 505,000, according to data issued by the Public Authority for Civil Information. This figure differs from those provided by the Central Bureau of Statistics. Al-Shall does not explain the discrepancy, suggesting that the higher figure may include military personnel and the unemployed. Bangladesh ranked fourth, with a total workforce of approximately 270,000, up from 257,000 at the end of the third quarter of 2023.
This represents 9.2 percent of the total workforce and about 10.9 percent of the total expatriate workforce. The Philippines ranked fifth, with a total workforce of approximately 213,000, down from 260,000 at the end of the third quarter of 2023. This accounts for 7.3 percent of the total workforce and approximately 8.6 percent of the total expatriate workforce.
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