Qatar Economic Outlook Issue Number 13

Figure 1-12: Expatriate labor by occupation 
(million) 
0.23 
0.34 
0.18 
0.33 
0.70 
0.98 
0.34 
0.37 
1.26 
2.02 
1.04 
2.83 
751
526
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
20
06
20
07
20
08
20
09
20
10
20
11
20
12
20
13
20
14
20
15
20
16
20
17
20
18
20
19
20
20
GD
P 
(QR
b
illi
on
)
po
pu
lat
ion
&
e
xp
at
riat
e 
(m
illi
on
)
Unskilled
Semi-skilled
Skilled
Highly skilled
Expatries labor force
Population (Million)
Nominal GDP (QR billion)
Source: Various years of labor force sample survey, PSA 

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Qatar Economic Outlook 2021 - 2023 
46 
the increase in the total population previously 
noted, from 1.04 million in 2006 to almost 
2.85 million in 2020. The labor force (Qatari 
and non-Qatari) represents about 75% of the 
total population in 2020, equivalent to 2.13 
million workers, and expatriate workers, in 
turn, constitute about 94.4% of the total, 
which underscores the fact that the ratio of 
the Qatari to non-Qatari workforce is 1:19.
The distribution of the workforce according to 
economic and nationality indicates that while 
the public sector provides job opportunities 
for the Qatari workforce, the private sector 
activities provide job opportunities for the 
expatriate workforce, especially in the 
building and construction sector, followed by 
industry, wholesale and retail trade, and 
other activities.