Capital

Kuwait

name: Kuwait City

geographic coordinates: 29 22 N, 47 58 E

time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: the name derives from Arabic "al-Kuwayt" a diminutive of "kut" meaning "fortress," possibly a reference to a small castle built on the current location of Kuwait City by the Beni Khaled tribe in the 17th century

Citizenship

Kuwait

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Kuwait

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: not specified

Legal system

Kuwait

mixed legal system consisting of English common law, French civil law, and Islamic sharia law

Suffrage

Kuwait

21 years of age and at least 20-year citizenship

Area

Kuwait

total: 17,818 sq km

land: 17,818 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Land use

Kuwait

agricultural land: 8.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0.6% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 7.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.4% (2018 est.)

other: 91.1% (2018 est.)

Location

Kuwait

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Age structure

Kuwait

0-14 years: 23.32% (male 377,040/female 346,791)

15-64 years: 73.28% (male 1,371,010/female 903,309)

65 years and over: 3.4% (2023 est.) (male 45,351/female 60,079)

Birth rate

Kuwait

17.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Kuwait

2.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Kuwait

Arabic (official), English widely spoken

major-language sample(s):
كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Kuwait

total population: 79.4 years (2023 est.)

male: 77.9 years

female: 80.9 years

Major urban areas - population

Kuwait

3.298 million KUWAIT (capital) (2023)

Median age

Kuwait

total: 30.1 years (2023 est.)

male: 31 years

female: 28.6 years

Net migration rate

Kuwait

-4.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Kuwait

densest settlement is along the Persian Gulf, particularly in Kuwait City and on Bubiyan Island; significant population threads extend south and west along highways that radiate from the capital, particularly in the southern half of the country

Population growth rate

Kuwait

1.13% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Kuwait

2.22 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Kuwait

urban population: 100% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.35% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Kuwait

6.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Kuwait

total: 15 years

male: 13 years

female: 16 years (2015)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Kuwait

-10% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Kuwait

-12.2% (2020 est.)

Labor force

Kuwait

2.363 million (2021 est.)

note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 60% of the labor force

Population below poverty line

Kuwait

NA

Unemployment rate

Kuwait

3.71% (2021 est.)

3.54% (2020 est.)

2.17% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Kuwait

20.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

9.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Kuwait

3.42% (2021 est.)

2.1% (2020 est.)

1.09% (2019 est.)

Exports

Kuwait

$77.121 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$47.416 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$72.833 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - partners

Kuwait

China 20%, South Korea 16%, India 15%, Japan 10%, Taiwan 6%, Vietnam 5% (2019)

Imports

Kuwait

$48.954 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$44.015 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$59.654 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

Kuwait

China 14%, United Arab Emirates 12%, United States 10%, Saudi Arabia 6%, Japan 6%, Germany 5%, India 5% (2019)

Airports

Kuwait

7 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Kuwait

total: 73,948 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Kuwait

total: 4.3 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 100% (2021 est.)

Roadways

Kuwait

total: 5,749 km (2018)

paved: 4,887 km (2018)

unpaved: 862 km (2018)

Telephones - fixed lines

Kuwait

total subscriptions: 580,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Kuwait

total subscriptions: 6,918,180 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 163 (2021 est.)

Disputes - international

Kuwait

Kuwait-Iraq: no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf; Kuwait has called on Iraq to resolve the domestic legal status of the 2012 Kuwait-Iraq Agreement to regulate maritime navigation in Khor Abdullah and ensure that the agreement remains in force  

Kuwait-Saudi Arabia: their maritime boundary was established in 2000 and has a neutral zone but its extension to Iran’s maritime boundary has not been negotiated