Kuwait — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Kuwait, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Kuwait was 2.18% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 3.49% in 2020. The lowest was 0.69% in 1995 (about 3.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 2.69% per year.
Kuwait ranks 168 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 90%. The median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan is 9.00%, so Kuwait sits below it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 37% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 1%. Within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan it ranks 20 of 23 economies; United Arab Emirates (2.17%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 58% in 2020. That is 8% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1991 level: doubled by 2010. Doubling roughly every 26 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 180th of 187 in 1991 → 183rd of 187 in 2000 → 172nd of 187 in 2010 → 156th of 187 in 2020 → 163rd of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.18% | +0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 2.15% | +0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 2.08% | -0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 2.13% | -0.8 pp |
| 2021 | 2.97% | -0.5 pp |
| 2020 | 3.49% | +1.3 pp |
| 2019 | 2.21% | +0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 2.2% | -0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 2.23% | +0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 2.16% | -0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 2.2% | -0.7 pp |
| 2014 | 2.9% | +0.4 pp |
| 2013 | 2.47% | +0.2 pp |
| 2012 | 2.23% | +0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 2.05% | +0.2 pp |
| 2010 | 1.82% | +0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 1.64% | -0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 1.75% | +0.3 pp |
| 2007 | 1.5% | +0.2 pp |
| 2006 | 1.3% | -0.2 pp |
| 2005 | 1.46% | -0.2 pp |
| 2004 | 1.7% | +0.4 pp |
| 2003 | 1.3% | +0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 1.1% | +0.3 pp |
| 2001 | 0.8% | +0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 0.8% | +0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 0.7% | +0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 0.7% | +0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 0.7% | +0.0 pp |
| 1996 | 0.7% | +0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 0.69% | -0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 0.7% | -0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 0.8% | -0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 0.88% | -0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 0.88% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Kuwait’s Unemployment in 1992?
0.88% (1992). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Kuwait’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +146.7% in total — about 2.7% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 2.18%; 2024: 2.15%; 2023: 2.08%; 2022: 2.13%; 2021: 2.97%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.