KUWAIT CITY | May 22, 2025:
The Central Statistical Administration has announced that the number of residents in Kuwait rose to approximately 3.02 million by the end of 2024, marking an increase of 85,000 compared to 2.93 million at the close of 2023.
Resident Distribution by Category
The resident population was distributed as follows:
- Private sector workers: 1.59 million, accounting for 52.6% of total residents
- Domestic workers (Article 20): 735,000 (24.3%)
- Family residency holders: 544,000 (18%)
- Government sector workers: 96,800 (3%)
Residency Trends by Nationality
According to the statistics, residents of Asian nationalities made up 64.2% of the population, while Arab nationalities represented 33.1%.
Decline in Domestic Worker Numbers
Residency figures under Article 20 (domestic workers) dropped by 6.4%, declining from approximately 786,000 in 2023 to 735,000 in 2024.Stay updated on Kuwait’s latest news and job openings by following our WhatsApp channel!https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCkXo25q08jnKrRwo27
Residency Cancellations
In 2024, a total of 49,000 residency permits were cancelled:
- Private sector: 20,800
- Family residencies: 15,900
- Government sector: 4,000
Sharp Decline in Residency Violators
The number of residency violators fell significantly to 81,500 in 2024—a 32.6% decrease from 121,000 the previous year. Officials attribute this success to the government’s comprehensive security plan to pursue and limit illegal residency.
Breakdown of violators by permit type:
- Domestic workers (Article 20): 38,900
- Private sector workers (Article 18): 21,000
- Family residency holders: 3,000
Violators by Nationality
- Non-Arab Asians: 71% of violators
- Arabs: 13%
- Non-Arab Africans: 13%
- Europeans: 489
- North Americans: 714
- South & Central Americans: 124
- Australians: 22
Freelance Residency on the Rise
The number of individuals obtaining Article 19 residency (for freelance or “free activity”) increased to 1,439 by the end of 2024, up from 972 in 2023.
First-Time Residency Permits in 2024
A total of 92,200 new residencies were issued in 2024, including:
- Domestic worker permits: 32,400
- Family residency permits: 24,000
- Temporary residencies: 19,000
- Private sector work permits: 15,000
- Government sector permits: 1,068
- Study visas: 7
- Self-employment residencies (Article 19): 13
