Kuwait Population Rises to 5.31 Million, Driven by Expats

Expatriate residents continue to fuel Kuwait’s population growth, making up around 70% of the total.

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Kuwait Population Rises to 5.31 Million, Driven by Expats

Kuwait’s population has reached 5.31 million after rising by 73,570 residents in the first six months of 2026, according to the latest data from the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI). This marks a 1.4% increase, up from 5.23 million at the end of December 2025 to 5.31 million by the end of June 2026.

The main reason behind this growth is the expatriate community, which still makes up most of Kuwait’s residents. PACI figures show that expatriates total 3.74 million, or about 70% of the population, while Kuwaiti citizens number 1.56 million, making up the remaining 30%.

Among expatriates, Indians remain the largest community in Kuwait, with more than one million residents. Egyptians come next with around 687,000, followed by Bangladeshis at about 390,000. Together, these three groups make up a large share of Kuwait’s foreign population.

The latest numbers show the same trend seen over the past year, with expatriate figures continuing to rise and support overall population growth. Earlier official data had already shown Kuwait’s population increasing to 5.23 million by the end of 2025, mainly because of a growing foreign workforce.

These demographic figures highlight Kuwait’s continued dependence on expatriate workers across many sectors. Foreign residents still form the backbone of the labour market, while citizens account for less than one-third of the total population.

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Kuwait Population Rises to 5.31 Million, Driven by Expats

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