[Kuwait] Nationals earn nearly five times as much as expat counterparts

New data has revealed that Kuwaiti nationals earn nearly five times as much as their expatriate colleagues and more than four in every five Kuwaitis work for the government, AGBI reports.

The data, from the Central Statistics Administration, showed that of 450,000 working Kuwaitis at the end of September, 375,000 (83 per cent) were in the public sector. The remainder were employed in the private sector, according to the local Al-Shall Consulting Group, which analysed the statistics.

Excluding nearly 740,000 domestic servants, expatriates in both sectors totalled around 2.1 million, the consultancy said.

The average monthly wage of a Kuwaiti across both the public and private sectors was around KD1,571 ($5,184) a month, against KD343 for an expatriate, 4.5 times less. In the public sector, the figures were KD1,614 a month for a Kuwaiti and KD762 for expatriates, two times less.

In the private sector, the gap was even greater at KD1,625 for Kuwaitis and KD311 for expatriates, more than five times less.

In addition, the data reportedly showed that working Kuwaiti men are paid about 40 per cent more than working Kuwaiti women, or around KD1,886 a month, compared to KD1,345 for women.

The majority of expatriate workers in Kuwait are Arabs from outside the Gulf region and nationals from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Gulf Arab economies have been built on relatively cheap labour from outside, including other Arabs, the Indian subcontinent and the Philippines. 

In the UAE emirate of Dubai, the local national population accounts for less than 10 per cent of the nearly 4 million people living there.

Source: AGBI

New data has revealed that Kuwaiti nationals earn nearly five times as much as their expatriate colleagues and more than four in every five Kuwaitis work for the government, AGBI reports.

The data, from the Central Statistics Administration, showed that of 450,000 working Kuwaitis at the end of September, 375,000 (83 per cent) were in the public sector. The remainder were employed in the private sector, according to the local Al-Shall Consulting Group, which analysed the statistics.

Excluding nearly 740,000 domestic servants, expatriates in both sectors totalled around 2.1 million, the consultancy said.

The average monthly wage of a Kuwaiti across both the public and private sectors was around KD1,571 ($5,184) a month, against KD343 for an expatriate, 4.5 times less. In the public sector, the figures were KD1,614 a month for a Kuwaiti and KD762 for expatriates, two times less.

In the private sector, the gap was even greater at KD1,625 for Kuwaitis and KD311 for expatriates, more than five times less.

In addition, the data reportedly showed that working Kuwaiti men are paid about 40 per cent more than working Kuwaiti women, or around KD1,886 a month, compared to KD1,345 for women.

The majority of expatriate workers in Kuwait are Arabs from outside the Gulf region and nationals from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Gulf Arab economies have been built on relatively cheap labour from outside, including other Arabs, the Indian subcontinent and the Philippines. 

In the UAE emirate of Dubai, the local national population accounts for less than 10 per cent of the nearly 4 million people living there.

Source: AGBI