Kuwait Extends Its Streak in Last Place

• In Brief
• Rigid Lifestyles & Weak Personal Support Networks
• Long Working Hours Keep the Economy Turning
• Moderate Living Expenses
• Learning Arabic Isn’t a Priority
• The Typical Expat Kuwait
• Further Reading

In Brief

In last place in the 2025 Expat Insider survey is no stranger: Kuwait (46th). Since 2014, the country has ranked dead last every year except for 2017 when it managed second to last. Out of five indices, Quality of Life (46th) and Ease of Settling In (46th) also come in last place, with Working Abroad (38th) in the bottom 10. All things considered, respondents in Kuwait are the unhappiest expats worldwide (46th).

Rigid Lifestyles & Weak Personal Support Networks

All subcategories of Kuwait’s Quality of Life (46th) and Ease of Settling In (46th) Indices can be found in the bottom 10. Those faring the worst are Environment & Climate (46th), Leisure Options (46th), Culture & Welcome (46th), and Local Friendliness (46th).

About half of respondents don’t have anything positive to say about the air quality (53% vs. 19% globally); climate & weather (49% vs. 22%); natural environment (50% vs. 7%); options for culture & nightlife (50% vs. 17%); or being able to openly express themselves and their opinions (53% vs. 18%). It’s also difficult to get equal access to all kinds of healthcare services (44th). Silver linings include the availability of medical care, the affordability of public transportation, and personal safety — all in 26th place.

And when it comes to settling in, expats find it difficult to make friends. This could be due to the perceived unfriendliness of the locals, in general (42% negative ratings vs. 19% globally) and towards foreign residents (40% vs. 21%). A similar share is unhappy with their social life (43% vs. 29%) and feels like they don’t have a personal support network in Kuwait (39% vs. 27%).

Find out more in our articles on the Quality of Life and Ease of Settling In Indices.

Long Working Hours Keep the Economy Turning

The majority of respondents in Kuwait cite job-related reasons for their move: at 70%, the share is nearly double that of the global average (36%). Once there, how is work treating expats? Not too great — the Working Abroad Index is in the bottom 10, in 38th place.

The ranking is especially pulled down by the Work Culture & Satisfaction (44th) and Work & Leisure (41st) Subcategories. Expats struggle with their work–life balance (44th) and say the local business culture doesn’t support flexibility (44th). Indeed, working in Kuwait is no walk in the park: the average full-time hours per week is 45.6 hours, about 3 hours more than the global average (42.5 h). And remote work isn’t the norm, with 78% of respondents saying they only work on site (vs. 36% globally).

Expats in Kuwait also don’t feel like they’re paid fairly for their work (44th) or that their job is secure (45th). Moving to Kuwait has slightly improved their career prospects, however (20th), and the state of the economy (8th) is stellar — it’s the only factor across the survey where Kuwait lands in the top 10!

Moderate Living Expenses

With a strong economy, it’s unsurprising that Personal Finance (29th) is Kuwait’s best-performing index. Nevertheless, this performance is below average compared to the global situation. So while the majority of respondents (56%) are satisfied with their finances (vs. 54% globally), a smaller share (34%) rate the general cost of living positively (vs. 40%).

When it comes to their disposable household income, 62% of expats say it’s about or more than enough to lead a comfortable life (vs. 69% globally).

Learning Arabic Isn’t a Priority

In 33rd place is the Expats Essentials Index. Its four subcategories are split: Digital Life (37th) and Admin Topics (37th) in the bottom 10, while Housing (28th) and Language (21st) are in midfield.

As a country with many international job seekers, it’s unsurprising that it’s relatively easy to get by in Kuwait without speaking the local language (13th). It’s also easy to open a local bank account (12th) and handle administrative/government services online (19th). However, it’s a challenge to get a visa to move there in the first place (44% say it’s difficult vs. 26% globally) or deal with the local bureaucracy and authorities (just 19% positive ratings vs. 37%).

Other challenges include the restricted access to online services like social media (16% negative ratings vs. 5% globally) and the affordability of housing (27% positive ratings vs. 34%). The ease of finding accommodation, however, is on par with the global average (45% say it’s easy vs. 44%).

The Typical Expat in Kuwait

Further Reading

• The Best & Worst Countries for Expats in 2025
• Where Expats Can Find the Best Quality of Life (& Where Not)
• Where to Go (or Avoid) for a Lively Social Circle
• Expat Insider 2024: Kuwait Turns Up the Heat in More Ways than One
• Expat Community in Kuwait