Men make up about 50% of the population on average. In some countries, though, they make up 70% or more of the population, and women become the minority. It’s suggested that immigration will play a significant role in this, and biological factors are also at play. Through this list, we’ll explore ten countries where men are the majority.
Qatar
Qatar has a population that is about 71% men. It’s suggested that the main reason for the gender imbalance is, in part, due to immigration. Residents of India and Nepal are migrating in search of better employment opportunities. Male workers arrived before the 2022 World Cup. Unfortunately, many workers were not paid their wages fairly, as wage theft was a significant issue.
Oman
Immigration to Oman has skyrocketed, and the population is now approximately 60% male. They’ve received a large number of workers contributing to considerable population growth. Approximately 29% of the country’s population consists of immigrants, including Filipinos, Indians, Egyptians, and individuals from other cultures. Recently, the government has been implementing labor policies to prioritize employment for citizens.
Kuwait
Sixty percent of the population are men. Immigrants account for approximately 60% of the population here and 78% of the workforce. As such, the economy is dependent on migrant labor. Over the past 100 years, projects in the oil and other industries have heavily relied on migrant workers. The government has implemented reform policies that might decrease the number of men in the country in a few years.
United Arab Emirates
The population is 64% men, ranking second in terms of the men-to-women ratio. It’s similar to Qatar, as immigrants make up a large portion of the population, at 88% of the total residents. Additionally, 93% of the men are in the labor force. People immigrate here for labor opportunities, and the nationalities that come here include Pakistani, Filipino, and others.
Saudi Arabia
At almost 61% of the population being men, this is a country that sees immigrants from Yemen, Egypt, and other countries. Immigrants make up a significant portion of the population due to the development plans that have begun to take effect. As a result, immigration has increased because people sought employment.
Seychelles
A small East African country, the male population comprises 55%, and it has over 13,000 immigrants. Immigration in this country is more pronounced due to the country’s small size. They have an emerging economy that has attracted people to move here, and migrant workers find employment in construction, tourism, and fishing, among other sectors.
Palau
Almost 54% of the population is male, and it has the ninth-highest male population in the world. Immigration affects the gender difference, and the country has a per capita income that draws in immigrants because it’s twice that of the Philippines. Tourism is a significant industry here, as is agriculture and fishing.
Bahrain
Close to Oman in population, Bahrain has a male population of 62%, with almost half the population being immigrants, and the majority of those are men seeking work. As of five years ago, only 27% of the population was made up of women, and less than 10% were children. Unfortunately, working conditions here are not excellent, and immigrants deal with their passports being held against their will to prevent them from leaving, with wage theft and discrimination being common.
Maldives
The population is predominantly male, with 62% of the population being male, and globally, the Maldives ranks third in the male-to-female ratio. As of 2021, the country had received almost 200,000 immigrants, who work in industries such as domestic care, tourism, construction, and agriculture. The general census indicates that there are eight more boys born than girls, which contributes to the high percentage difference.
Bhutan
Bhutan is a South Asian country with a population that is almost 54% male. It has forests and rugged mountains that make it geographically isolated. However, nearly 55,000 people who live there are immigrants. Like other countries on this list, most of the people moving here are men, with only 8,000 of those immigrants being women, leading to the discrepancy.
A Big Difference
As you can see, immigration plays a significant role in why these countries have a limited number of women. In countries with bustling tourism and excellent fishing and agriculture, people are seeking labor and opportunities to find better jobs. Other countries are developing quickly and have better infrastructure opportunities. However, with new policies being implemented, who knows what will happen next?
