Indians form largest expatriate group in Kuwait

Indians continue to be the largest expatriate community in Kuwait, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the total population and over one-third of the workforce. The Indian population grew to over one million last year, according to official data.

Dubai: The Indian expatriate community continues to dominate Kuwait’s population demographics, accounting for about 20 percent of the country’s total population, making Indians the largest expatriate group in the Gulf nation.

Kuwait’s total population rose by five percent, from 4.988 million to 5.237 million last year, driven largely by an increase in expatriates in general, with Indians remaining the single largest group among them.

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The Indian population increased to 1.059 million at the end of last year from 1.008 million a year earlier. The Indian community now represents nearly 20 percent of Kuwait’s total population and about 29 percent of all expatriates, according to the latest population report released by local authorities.

In contrast, the proportion of Kuwaiti citizens in the total population declined from 31.4 percent at the end of 2024 to 29.85 percent at the end of last year, the report said. The Kuwaiti population stood at 1.563 million at the end of last year, down from 1.68 million a year earlier.

Among expatriates, 8.56 lakh are employed as domestic helpers, of whom 3.43 lakh are Indians working as maids, drivers and other household staff. Domestic helpers constitute 16 percent of Kuwait’s total population and 27 percent of the country’s total workforce, the report revealed.

In the private sector workforce of 1.83 million, Indians account for 30.08 percent, followed by Egyptians at 23.9 percent. Overall, Indians constitute 33.9 percent of Kuwait’s entire workforce.

It is noteworthy that a large share of Indian domestic workers in Kuwait hail from the Kadapa and Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh.