2019			2020			2021			2022			2023			2024
	Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total
Arab countries	130,873	208,720	339,593	128,923	203,358	332,281	124,092	193,578	317,670	128,970	203,646	332,616	127,957	199,809	327,766	140,764	222,034	362,798
Non‐Arab Asian countries	63,436	120,943	184,379	61,564	114,795	176,359	59,386	106,171	165,557	61,334	109,909	171,243	57,914	102,797	160,711	59,082	105,909	164,991
Non‐Arab African countries	604	1,350	1,954	559	1,260	1,819	583	1,154	1,737	633	1,278	1,911	615	1,236	1,851	687	1,301	1,988
Europe	1,804	3,301	5,105	1,688	3,056	4,744	1,629	2,894	4,523	1,704	2,968	4,672	1,570	2,713	4,283	1,704	2,948	4,652
North America	4,111	5,091	9,202	4,048	4,916	8,964	3,967	4,689	8,656	3,970	4,812	8,782	3,734	4,467	8,201	3,848	4,587	8,435
South and Central America	288	580	868	275	518	793	268	469	737	297	521	818	305	483	788	342	529	871
Australia and Pacific	299	429	728	282	416	698	273	384	657	256	356	612	249	326	575	277	359	636
Other	0	1	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	201,415	340,415	541,830	197,339	328,320	525,659	190,198	309,339	499,537	197,164	323,490	520,654	192,344	311,831	504,175	206,704	337,667	544,371

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 residing in Kuwait, as a worker’s family member.
Spouse, children or elderly dependent relatives can only be sponsored by holders of visas n°17 (governmental employment) and 18 (private sector employment)
providing the expatriate holds a legal residency and meets the salary requirements.
A working wife cannot sponsor her husband as a dependent. Sons over the age of 21 years cannot be sponsored as dependents,
though adult unmarried daughters and parents may be permitted. Dependent family members are not allowed to work on a Dependent Visa.
Every foreign resident including new born babies must hold a residency permit.

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.

2. Institution which provides data 

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: 01 July 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, Foreign Population, Employment, Legal Document, Residence Conditions, Family Reunification, Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America, Oceania

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