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Non-Kuwaiti population by sex, migration status and country of citizenship of holder (2012)

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Migration Status TOTAL
Country of citizenship Worker Family member Student Other resident 
ARAB COUNTRIES males females total males females total males females total males females total
Iraq 3,630 736 4,366 3,545 6,939 10,484 0 0 0 158 254 412 15,262
Syria 53,452 4,300 57,752 30,726 45,119 75,845 3 0 3 1,565 389 1,954 135,554
Lebanon 13,957 4,708 18,665 8,285 15,016 23,301 1 2 3 423 194 617 42,586
Jordan 15,893 4,609 20,502 12,220 21,532 33,752 1 2 3 577 247 824 55,081
Yemen 5,164 294 5,458 1,879 3,288 5,167 2 0 2 111 24 135 10,762
Palestine 12 10 22 279 277 556 0 0 0 0 1 1 579
Algeria 242 74 316 182 327 509 1 0 1 12 7 19 845
Egypt 305,781 24,988 330,769 52,735 84,765 137,500 10 2 12 13,408 1,003 14,411 482,692
Morocco 849 942 1,791 302 1,292 1,594 0 0 0 49 61 110 3,495
Tunisia 783 1,009 1,792 340 644 984 2 1 3 36 48 84 2,863
Libya 35 4 39 34 74 108 1 0 1 1 0 1 149
Palestinian from Egypt 1,967 756 2,723 1,145 2,117 3,262 0 0 0 133 35 168 6,153
Palestinian from Lebanon 341 123 464 140 341 481 0 0 0 14 3 17 962
Palestinian from Syria 119 52 171 69 125 194 0 0 0 5 2 7 372
Palestinian from Iraq 1 1 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
Non-Kuwaiti 1 0 1 2 3 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
Saudi 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Total 402,227 42,606 444,833 111,883 181,861 293,744 21 7 28 16,492 2,268 18,760 757,365
ASIA          
Afghanistan 10,209 46 10,255 1,234 1,810 3,044 19 4 23 324 43 367 13,689
Uzbekistan 25 22 47 14 51 65 0 0 0 1 1 2 114
Kyrgyzstan 7 18 25 6 17 23 5 2 7 1 2 3 58
Tajikstan 7 2 9 8 11 19 4 2 6 0 0 0 34
Kazakhstan  6 7 13 4 17 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 34
Mongolia 3 3 6 3 4 7 3 0 3 0 0 0 16
Turkey 1,204 155 1,359 275 511 786 1 0 1 102 24 126 2,272
Iran 23,830 1,698 25,528 5,245 11,120 16,365 3 2 5 619 121 740 42,638
Malaysia 108 53 161 87 166 253 19 3 22 3 2 5 441
Japan 49 14 63 7 47 54 3 2 5 4 0 4 126
Indonesia 1,031 11,676 12,707 292 885 1,177 4 5 9 26 117 143 14,036
Philippines 29,172 122,258 151,430 2,487 5,308 7,795 17 14 31 768 1,718 2,486 161,742
Pakistan 89,953 1,107 91,060 9,232 17,280 26,512 27 4 31 2,367 70 2,437 120,040
India 474,755 110,751 585,506 30,674 62,131 92,805 15 1 16 12,260 1,938 14,198 692,525
China 2,318 577 2,895 51 236 287 8 7 15 636 70 706 3,903
Taiwan 6 1 7 1 3 4 5 3 8 0 0 0 19
South Korea 737 16 753 83 160 243 1 6 7 113 2 115 1,118
Singapore 18 5 23 1 18 19 14 2 16 0 1 1 59
Bangladesh 173,484 5,001 178,485 2,556 4,380 6,936 9 0 9 4,520 221 4,741 190,171
Thailand 1,767 300 2,067 28 149 177 23 18 41 155 23 178 2,463
Sri Lanka  30,887 72,520 103,407 1,143 3,127 4,270 23 1 24 704 1,455 2,159 109,860
Nepal 27,861 25,792 53,653 60 194 254 0 1 1 1,017 561 1,578 55,486
Bhutan 7 3 10 6 7 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 23
North Korea 3,063 2 3,065 3 8 11 2 1 3 492 0 492 3,571
Vietnam 496 19 515 4 13 17 0 0 0 66 0 66 598
Cambodia 5 4 9 2 2 4 28 6 34 0 0 0 47
Myanmar 241 88 329 2 3 5 0 0 0 15 0 15 349
Other Asian Nationalities 40 13 53 9 19 28 3 2 5 0 1 1 87
Total 871,289 352,151 1,223,440 53,517 107,677 161,194 236 86 322 24,193 6,370 30,563 1,415,519
EUROPE   0 0    
Britain 1,772 590 2,362 620 1,104 1,724 1 0 1 53 37 90 4,177
Ireland 83 41 124 32 52 84 0 0 0 3 2 5 213
France 342 107 449 179 265 444 1 1 2 8 5 13 908
Holland 105 19 124 72 91 163 0 0 0 3 2 5 292
Belgium 43 11 54 11 28 39 0 0 0 1 0 1 94
Italy 191 35 226 56 104 160 0 2 2 15 2 17 405
Malta 17 0 17 1 5 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 23
Sweden 74 19 93 67 103 170 0 0 0 2 3 5 268
Norway 17 10 27 10 20 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 57
Switzerland 21 6 27 4 14 18 0 0 0 0 1 1 46
Austria 32 13 45 20 40 60 0 0 0 1 1 2 107
Germany 212 51 263 98 170 268 3 2 5 10 6 16 552
Spain 82 25 107 27 54 81 1 1 2 9 2 11 201
Portugal 68 26 94 12 28 40 0 0 0 4 0 4 138
Denmark 71 14 85 35 74 109 2 0 2 2 0 2 198
Greece 55 20 75 14 32 46 0 0 0 6 10 16 137
Cyprus 11 4 15 5 11 16 0 0 0 2 0 2 33
Czech Republic 33 15 48 5 25 30 0 2 2 0 0 0 80
Hungary 87 36 123 28 58 86 1 2 3 1 4 5 217
Slovakia 25 18 43 11 43 54 0 0 0 2 3 5 102
Finland 9 4 13 3 15 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 31
Lithuania 4 4 8 3 4 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 15
Poland 83 45 128 20 96 116 2 3 5 4 4 8 257
Russia and USSR 219 72 291 138 304 442 2 3 5 10 5 15 753
Ukraine 66 32 98 43 154 197 0 0 0 3 5 8 303
Moldova 5 15 20 2 7 9 0 0 0 0 4 4 33
Belarus 14 6 20 9 28 37 0 0 0 1 0 1 58
Bosnia-Herzegovina 100 34 134 15 53 68 6 3 9 2 1 3 214
Macedonia 33 10 43 3 16 19 3 0 3 3 0 3 68
Croatia 26 13 39 5 10 15 0 0 0 4 0 4 58
Serbia 86 34 120 24 55 79 0 0 0 8 4 12 211
Yugoslavia 47 15 62 11 31 42 0 0 0 0 0 0 104
Romania  168 172 340 60 167 227 0 0 0 20 30 50 617
Bulgaria 127 233 360 30 94 124 4 0 4 5 0 5 493
Albania 16 2 18 16 30 46 1 1 2 1 1 2 68
Kosovo 7 3 10 6 6 12 0 0 0 1 0 1 23
Armenia 98 40 138 17 80 97 0 2 2 3 6 9 246
Georgia 37 23 60 13 13 26 0 2 2 4 7 11 99
Azerbaidjan  14 6 20 16 29 45 0 0 0 1 0 1 66
Other European Nationalities 32 15 47 10 18 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 75
Total 4,532 1,838 6,370 1,751 3,531 5,282 27 24 51 192 145 337 12,040
AFRICA          
Ethiopia 4,984 70,826 75,810 57 209 266 1 1 2 111 1,090 1,201 77,279
Eritrea 255 313 568 191 354 545 2 1 3 8 11 19 1,135
Sudan 3,175 159 3,334 330 692 1,022 3 0 3 96 96 192 4,551
Senegal 48 25 73 20 40 60 32 13 45 1 4 5 183
Gambia 8 4 12 3 4 7 18 0 18 0 0 0 37
Guinea 15 4 19 10 9 19 7 2 9 0 0 0 47
Mauritania 66 1 67 15 41 56 4 2 6 12 1 13 142
Mali 55 3 58 4 8 12 16 5 21 3 0 3 94
Niger 44 9 53 28 35 63 21 1 22 1 0 1 139
Burkina Faso 11 1 12 3 6 9 16 4 20 1 0 1 42
Benin 53 3 56 12 25 37 51 8 59 6 0 6 158
Liberia 60 19 79 46 70 116 0 0 0 2 3 5 200
Sierra Leone 57 7 64 11 16 27 0 0 0 31 0 31 122
Togo 29 31 60 4 6 10 7 2 9 1 1 2 81
Ivory Coast 10 8 18 1 8 9 6 0 6 0 0 0 33
Nigeria 181 60 241 87 146 233 54 9 63 7 3 10 547
South Africa 258 151 409 53 142 195 0 0 0 8 23 31 635
Swaziland 3 5 8 5 7 12 0 0 0 0 1 1 21
Zimbabwe 35 3 38 7 17 24 0 0 0 9 1 10 72
Chad 79 15 94 25 30 55 11 1 12 1 0 1 162
Cameroon 6 12 18 2 1 3 3 0 3 0 0 0 24
Somalia 962 410 1,372 825 1,300 2,125 33 5 38 70 56 126 3,661
Djibouti 17 3 20 6 17 23 4 2 6 0 0 0 49
Madagascar 3 1,197 1,200 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 22 22 1,225
Mauritius 6 3 9 1 7 8 5 0 5 19 0 19 41
Ghana 380 327 707 13 30 43 13 1 14 15 12 27 791
Uganda 13 247 260 8 4 12 3 1 4 0 4 4 280
Malawi 8 2 10 7 8 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 25
Tanzania 32 1 33 4 18 22 10 3 13 1 0 1 69
Kenya 117 41 158 36 60 96 0 2 2 4 1 5 261
Comore Islands 34 2 36 11 17 28 11 1 12 2 0 2 78
Seychelles Islands 3 4 7 2 7 9 0 0 0 0 1 1 17
Other African Nationalities 39 13 52 14 45 59 6 5 11 1 0 1 123
Total 11,046 73,909 84,955 1,841 3,382 5,223 337 69 406 410 1,330 1,740 92,324
AMERICA AND OCEANIA   0 0    
U.S.A 6,157 1,649 7,806 2,254 2,733 4,987 2 3 5 371 98 469 13,267
Canada 1,951 675 2,626 1,523 2,273 3,796 5 2 7 72 29 101 6,530
Dominican Republic 90 10 100 93 86 179 0 0 0 6 0 6 285
Venezuela 78 19 97 35 90 125 0 0 0 2 0 2 224
Colombia 39 10 49 12 31 43 0 0 0 1 1 2 94
Trinidad and Tobago 8 3 11 6 6 12 0 0 0 1 0 1 24
Granada 10 0 10 1 6 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 17
Jamaica 6 6 12 1 4 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 17
Mexico 12 4 16 7 35 42 0 0 0 1 1 2 60
Brasil 66 21 87 34 52 86 0 0 0 20 5 25 198
Bolivia 10 4 14 15 25 40 0 0 0 1 0 1 55
Peru 9 2 11 2 5 7 0 0 0 1 0 1 19
Ecuador 8 0 8 5 7 12 0 0 0 0 1 1 21
Argentina 48 9 57 7 18 25 0 0 0 4 2 6 88
Australia 315 85 400 263 382 645 0 0 0 6 7 13 1,058
New Zealand 88 38 126 67 108 175 0 0 0 6 4 10 311
Fiji Islands 47 2 49 2 3 5 0 0 0 2 0 2 56
Other American and Oceanian Nationalities 44 11 55 12 40 52 0 0 0 2 2 4 111
Total 8,986 2,548 11,534 4,339 5,904 10,243 8 5 13 496 150 646 22,436
U.N. 4 0 4 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
Unknown Nationalities 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
GRAND TOTAL 1,298,084 473,053 1,771,137 173,332 302,356 475,688 629 191 820 41,783 10,263 52,046 2,299,691

Source: Ministry of Interior

 

 

ANNEXED NOTE

 

1. Definitions and data collection method

 

The migration status is inferred from the distribution of expatriates by type of residence permits they hold as of December 31st, the given year (cf. table in file MOV 2.3).

 

Workers are holders of permits n°17 (governmental labor), 18 (non-governmental labor); 19 (business) and 20 (domestic help).

Family members are holders of a dependent permit: spouse, children or elderly dependent relatives can join visa holder (sponsor) in Kuwait, if the expatriate has obtained a residency and is earning a minimum of KD250 a month (private and governement sector alike).

A working wife cannot sponsor her husband as a dependent. Also, sons over the age of 21 years cannot be sponsored as dependants, though adult daughters and parents may be permitted. Dependent family members are not allowed to work on a Dependent Visa, unless they transfer it into a work visa under Kuwaiti sponsorship. This can be done only after 6 to 12 months of holding a dependent visa.

Every children including new born babies must hold a residency permit. The application for the infant’s residence must be made within 60 days of the birth

The Dependent Visa holder is permitted to stay as long as the sponsor holds a valid visa.

Students are holders of a study visa

Other residents are holders of:

 

* Temporary permit: An expatriate may be granted temporary residence under article 14 of the immigration regulations in special cases where he does not need or cannot get ordinary residence.

This allows the expatriate to stay for up to one year, for personal emergencies such as illness, or after resignation from employment in order to settle financial affairs or a court case.

* Self residence permit: Expatriates may sponsor themselves under article 24 of the regulations and obtain a residence for two to five years under several conditions

(among which: being aged 60 and more, having worked no less than 25 years in Kuwait, owning a capital of 10000 KD at least; being able to produce a certificate of good conduct, being effectively residing in Kuwait with his/her family, etc.).

This form of residence can be renewed upon expiry. Self-sponsored expatriates may sponsor their wives and children.

 

Residency procedures do not apply to GCC nationals.

The bidoun, a stateless population, are not included in the residency documents holders.

The table thus excludes the Bidoun residents, the non-Kuwaiti GCC citizens and those in irregular situation.

 

2. Institution which provides data

 

Ministry of Interior

 

3. Period of data coverage

 

December 31st, given years

 

4. Data availability

 

2012 data is unpublished as of January 2014 and has been obtained from MoI.

 

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