Ethics and food security in Qatar

The Qatar 2020 census showed a population of 2.85 million, an increase from 1.7 million registered in the 2010 census, that is, an increase of 67.5 per cent. In a unique demographic mix, the proportion of non-Qataris constituted 94.4 per cent of the labour force (2.04 million). Thus, Qatari nationals in the labour force were only 5.6 per cent. During that decade, the proportion of females in the population increased from 24.4 per cent to 28.5 per cent. By way of contrast, the Qatar labour force (economically active) according to the 2020 census numbered 2.04 million with 16.5 per cent female. Of Qatari nationals in the workforce, 40.7 per cent were female (Qatar Planning and Statistics Authority, Qatar Census 2020). Low-skill, low-income workers are estimated to be around 75 per cent of the labour force (Gardner et al. 2013). These are primarily unaccompanied non-national males in construction, manufacturing, and the energy industry, while non-Qatari females are mainly employed in domestic work, cleaning, retail, and hospitality services. Non-nationals are primarily from Asia (India, Nepal, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) and increasingly from Africa (Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and elsewhere) (Babar 2017).