DOHA, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- The total population of the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is expected to increase by one-third to 53 million by 2020, a report said here Sunday.

    The rising population coupled with relative low age of youth would pose a big challenge to the six Gulf states, the report entitled "The GCC in 2020: The Gulf and its People" said.

    The structure of workforce is undergoing changes, with an increasing number of educated women eager to start careers, said the report, released by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by Qatari Finance Center Authority.

    However, the dependence on expatriate labors is likely to continue in the long term, as the construction of high-rising buildings and infrastructure requires large amount of staff.

    The six oil-rich countries are currently home to a population of 35 million, around 37 percent of whom are expatriates.

    These workers mainly come from the Asian sub-continent and are heavily relied upon to drive the economic boom of these countries.

    Founded in 1981, the GCC is a political and economic alliance that groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

    The block holds around 40 percent of the world's oil reserves and produces around 16 million barrels of crude oil per day.