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Arab Times
21-04-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
More dinars for daily life: Kuwait's inflation up 2.41% year-on-year
KUWAIT CITY, April 21: Data released by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) on Sunday showed that Kuwait's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 2.41 percent year-on-year in March. The CSB told KUNA that inflation in Kuwait increased by 0.29 percent in March compared to February on a month-on-month basis. The annual CPI increase was driven by rising prices in several key categories, particularly food, health, clothing, and education, excluding transportation. According to the CSB, the CPI for the "food and beverages" group rose by 4.99 percent year-on-year in March. The "cigarettes and tobacco" group saw a marginal increase of 0.07 percent over the same period. The "clothing" group recorded a 4.26 percent rise, while prices in the "housing services" category increased by 0.74 percent. Inflation in the "home furnishings" group rose by 3.46 percent. The "health" group showed a 3.79 percent rise in its price index, whereas the "transportation" group experienced a decline of 0.98 percent compared to March last year. Statistics also revealed that the "communications" group saw a 0.72 percent increase on an annual basis. The "entertainment and culture" category rose by 1.92 percent, while "education" prices went up by 0.87 percent. Prices in the "restaurants and hotels" group increased by 1.5 percent year-on-year in March, and the "miscellaneous goods and services" group saw a rise of 4.72 percent. The CSB also noted that, excluding the "food and beverages" category, Kuwait's overall inflation rate rose by 1.77 percent year-on-year in March and by 0.15 percent month-on-month.
Arab Times
26-03-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
Food, services drive February inflation to 2.49% in Kuwait
KUWAIT CITY, March 26: Kuwait's inflation rate remained steady at 2.49% in February, with notable year-on-year increases in food and service prices, according to the latest data from the Central Statistical Bureau. This figure was in line with the 2.5% inflation seen in both January and December. In February, the consumer price index (CPI) reached 135.7, reflecting continued price increases across several major expenditure categories. While the overall inflation rate remained moderate, certain sectors experienced significant annual cost hikes. The food and beverage sector recorded a 5.23% year-on-year increase, while the clothing and footwear sector saw a 4.63% surge. Prices in the miscellaneous goods and services sector rose by 5.46%, driven largely by higher costs for personal goods and services. Healthcare costs also saw a notable increase of 4.08%, and the furnishing and household maintenance sector rose by 3.04%. Kuwait's inflation trends align closely with those of other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Saudi Arabia's inflation remained steady at 2% year-on-year in February, mainly driven by an 8.5% rise in housing rents. In contrast, Oman recorded a milder 1% annual inflation increase in February, with a 6.3% rise in the personal goods and miscellaneous services sector. The Central Statistical Bureau's report highlighted price trends across various expenditure groups, providing insight into the movement of key categories within the CPI. Despite overall inflation remaining relatively stable, Kuwait's housing services sector showed minimal movement, rising just 0.90% annually and remaining unchanged month-on-month. Transportation prices declined by 1.19% year-on-year but saw a slight monthly uptick of 0.07%. The communication sector experienced a slight annual increase of 0.88%, while the recreation and culture sector rose by 2.48%. Education costs saw a modest 0.71% increase, and the restaurants and hotels sector recorded a 2.03% rise compared to February 2024. The report also revealed that the total index, excluding food, rose by 1.93% annually, while the total index, excluding housing, increased by 3.13%. These figures suggest that inflationary pressures are mainly driven by non-housing-related expenses. Kuwait's economy continues to recover in its non-oil sector, supported by easing inflation. The country's non-oil exports rose to 23.2 million dinars ($74.9 million) in December, marking a 12.08% month-on-month increase, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. In its latest consultation with Kuwait in December, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) highlighted the recovery of the non-oil sector amid easing inflation. However, the IMF also noted a 1.5% contraction in GDP for the second quarter of 2024, driven by a 6.8% drop in the oil sector.
Arab Times
24-03-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
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.
Gulf Insider
22-02-2025
- Health
- Gulf Insider
Kuwaiti Jailed For 6 Months Over Hacking Wife's Mobile Phone
A Kuwaiti man has been sentenced to six months in prison on charges of hacking and illegally accessing his wife's mobile phone, according to a media report. The court has also ordered the man to pay a fine of KD3,000 ($9,720), news website Almajilis reported. In a separate case, a Kuwaiti criminal court handed down four years in prison to a citizen for beating his ex-wife with a screwdriver. It was not immediately clear when the incident happened or the nature of the injuries the woman had sustained. Earlier this month, Kuwait unveiled new rules for medical tests that will apply to all people including expatriates planning to get married in the country starting April. The Kuwait Ministry of Health has approved updated executive regulations for the premarital tests as part of efforts to protect public health, reduce rates of genetic and infectious diseases, ascertain a healthy marital life, and ensure that procedures are in line with international medical standards. The update features several amendments, expanding the scope of the medical examination to include all marriage contracts documented in Kuwait, whether both parties are Kuwaitis, one of them is Kuwaiti, or both are non-Kuwaitis. In 2023, Kuwait saw its lowest marriage rate in five years and a significant rise in divorce rates across the country, the country's Central Statistical Bureau reported last May. A total of 11,166 marriages were recorded that year with 83.1% or 9,280 marriages between Kuwaiti men and women. Divorce figures, meanwhile, showed an upward trend, with 5,932 divorces reported in 2023, marking an increase from previous years. The divorce rate was particularly high among university-educated Kuwaitis, with 4,239 such divorces recorded.
Arab Times
20-02-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
Wallets feel pinch as Kuwait inflation climbs 2.5%
KUWAIT CITY, Feb 20: Kuwait's consumer price index (CPI) rose by 2.5% at the end of January on an annual basis, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau released Thursday. The data, reported by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), also showed a 0.15% monthly increase compared to December 2024. The year-on-year rise was attributed to higher prices in key sectors, particularly food, clothing, and education, while transportation costs declined. The food and beverages category saw the highest increase, up 5.19% from January 2024. Clothing prices followed with a 4.81% rise, while education costs increased by 0.71%. Meanwhile, housing services rose by 0.9%, and household furnishings saw a 2.98% uptick. Healthcare costs climbed by 3.99%, while the transport sector was the only category to register a decline, dropping by 1.26% year-on-year. Other categories showing annual increases included communications (0.88%), entertainment and culture (2.64%), and restaurants and hotels (2.03%). Prices for miscellaneous goods and services rose by 5.17%. Excluding food and beverages, Kuwait's inflation rate stood at 1.86% year-on-year. (KUNA)
