Kuwait: Cumulated numbers of contravenors to the law on residency, by nationality group (2015-2025)

	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Arab countries	16,205	18,823	18,370	17,360	20,220	20,919	24,757	19,385	18,035	11,183	11,649
Non‐Arab Asian countries	80,353	83,956	85,601	68,203	79,166	89,178	103,167	93,397	86,207	58,100	58,010
Non‐Arab African countries	14,073	13,568	13,462	13,777	17,170	19,433	21,990	19,131	15,498	10,873	9,776
Europe	300	319	333	393	409	556	591	514	516	489	499
North America	637	635	654	660	684	930	976	816	771	714	693
South and Central America	102	105	98	115	116	141	150	151	124	124	133
Australia and Pacific	50	46	51	46	36	58	49	39	37	22	20
Other	7	9	7	7	7	6	7	7	7	7	7
Total	111,727	117,461	118,576	100,561	117,808	131,221	151,687	133,440	121,195	81,512	80,787

Source: Central Statistical Bureau, Migration Statistics Bulletin, given years.

ANNEXED NOTE

1. Definitions

These are stock data.
The figures refer to the cumulated numbers of foreign residents contravening the law on residency, present in Kuwait since the year 1992 until the 31st of December of each year.

CSB reprocessed data from Ministry of Interior’s (Directorate of Migration’s) annual records of residency permits granted to foreign residents by type/ purpose of permit,
sex and regional origin of holder.
The present figures include permits delivered for all purposes of stay in Kuwait:

1- Labour in all sectors: governmental (n°17); private sector (n°18); business (n°19) and domestic (n°20) sectors
2- Residence: temporary residence (n°14); as family dependent (permit n°22); for the purpose of studying (n°23) and for self-sponsorship (n°24).

Residency procedures do not apply to GCC nationals and to Bidouns (stateless residents of Kuwait).
The table thus excludes the Bidouns, the non-Kuwaiti GCC citizens and those in irregular situation.

2. Institution which provides data

Migration Department, Ministry of Interior (MoI) and Central Statistical Bureau (CSB), Ministry of Planning.

3. Period of data coverage

December 31st, given years.

4. Data availability

The present data is taken from the “Migration Statistics” reports, published annually by the CSB.

The report (in Arabic and English, PDF format with Excel tables) is available on CSB’s website (Population Statistics, then Migration Statistics)

https://www.csb.gov.kw/Pages/Statistics_en?ID=56&ParentCatID=1
https://www.csb.gov.kw/Pages/Statistics?ID=56&ParentCatID=1

Date of access: 20 August 2026

GLMM and GRC cannot guarantee that the link to access the source will not change;
that the information will not be removed from the website it was obtained from;
that no geo-blockages will be imposed; or that the information will not be available for any another reason.

Keywords: Kuwait, Irregular Migration, Legal Document, Residence Conditions, Foreign Population, Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America, Oceania