Kuwait: Holders of article 20 residence permits (domestic sector) by nationality group and sex (2019-2022)

  2019 2020 2021 2022
  Males Females Total Males Females Total Males Females Total Males Females Total
Arab countries 3,403 187 3,590 3,210 173 3,383 3,204 158 3,362 3,612 151 3,763
Non‐Arab Asian countries 347,133 347,565 694,698 321,707 317,569 639,276 289,284 281,573 570,857 341,180 391,139 732,319
Non‐Arab African countries 3,268 29,812 33,080 2,722 21,959 24,681 2,297 14,841 17,138 2,690 14,383 17,073
Europe 2 1 3 1 3 4 2 4 6 1 3 4
North America 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
South and Central America 4 0 4 4 0 4 4 0 4 4 1 5
Australia and Pacific 0 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 1 1 0 1
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 353,810 377,566 731,376 327,645 339,705 667,350 294,792 296,576 591,368 347,488 405,677 753,165

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

 

ANNEXED NOTE

 

  1. Definitions

 

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.

Data presented in the table are stock data: non-national residents holding a residence permit on December 31st, the given year (residencies delivered for the first time a given year+residencies renewed that year).

Residencies are valid for 1 to 5 years.

The present figures include permits delivered for the purpose of working in the domestic sector in Kuwait (as cleaner, driver, cook, domestic gardener, shepherd, nannie, etc.).

 

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.

 

Permits 17, 18, 19 and 20 are only granted after Ministry of Labour issues a work permit.

 

  1. Institution which provides data 

 

Central Statistical Bureau (CSB), Ministry of Planning.

 

  1. Period of data coverage

 

December 31st, given years.

 

  1. 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: April 2023.

 

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, Foreign Population, Employment, Legal Document, Residence Conditions, Domestic Workers, Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America, Oceania