Kuwait’s expat population is estimated to have shrunk 1.6% in 2024, the first drop outside wartime or pandemic shocks, according to Justin Alexander, director of US-based consultancy Khalij Economics. The decline appears driven by tighter immigration enforcement and could affect the country’s efforts to diversify its economy.
Cutting foreign labor has long been a popular demand in Kuwait: The country is undergoing a regulatory overhaul since Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad dissolved parliament in 2024, with reforms accompanied by purging citizenships the government says were fraudulently obtained, though rights groups say political opponents have also been targeted. The latest population estimates don’t include most of the 50,000 people stripped of citizenship in recent months. Alexander predicts the country’s population could fall by a further 2% this year.