The expatriate workforce of Kuwait, dropped for the first time last year, ever-since the Iraqi invasion of 1990, reveal official figures.

The number of expatriate workers dropped to 1.75mn at the end of 2008, from 1.77mn a year before, marking a decline of 0.85 percent, following the global economic recession and the steep decline in world crude prices.

Overall employment rate (including Kuwaiti nationals) also declined by 0.19 percent, touching 2.088mn, recording its first such fall since 1990.

The fall in foreign workforce saw a drop in emirate’s expatriate population record, ever-since its lowest increase in the 1991 Gulf War, when the US-led coalition had expelled Iraqi forces.

Expatriates have a higher birth rate than Kuwaiti citizens, thereby contributing to differing population and workforce. There is only a small increase in expatriate numbers in contrast with large increases of previous years. The expatriate population rose to 8.5 percent in 2007, which is more than 11 percent in 2004.

Expatriates constitute 68.4 percent of total population, which is lower than the 69 percent figure for 2007 reveal the statistics posted on the Public Authority for Civil Information website.

The economic turmoil, which has prompted a series of Kuwaiti firms to lay off foreign workers, led to an increase of 3.7 percent Kuwaiti workforce, touching 336,000 in number last year, compared to 324,000 of 2007. About 78 percent of them are employed in the public sector, which constitute 1.71mn private sector workforce.

Kuwaiti citizens constitute 1.087mn, which is 31.6% of the total population in the Gulf State. Asians form majority of the expatriate population, constituting 1.33mn. About 971,000 are Arabs, while 35,000 are Europeans, Australians and Americans.