Kuwait
Country in Asia
CountryScope
In brief
Population: 4.9M (2025). World rank 127 of 216; in Asia, 39 of 49. Area: 17,818 km². World rank 158 of 249; in Asia, 40 of 50. Life expectancy: 84.6 years (2024). World rank 4 of 216 (1 = best); in Asia, 2 of 49. From 2015 to 2025: population 3.8M → 4.9M, GDP $114.6B → $157.2B, and GDP per person $29,882 → $32,312. Better than all its neighbours (Iraq and Saudi Arabia): life expectancy.
State
- Official name
- State of Kuwait
- Local name
- الكويت
- Capital
- Kuwait City
- Region
- Asia
- Form of government
- Constitutional monarchy
- UN member
- Yes
- Head of state
- Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
- Head of government
- Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah
- Independence
- June 19, 1961
- Women in parliament
- 3.1% 2023
Key figures
- Population
- 4,865,298 2025
- Area
- 17,818 km²
- GDP
- $157.2B 2025
- GDP per person
- $32,312 2025
- Life expectancy
- 84.6 years 2024
Practical information
- Languages
- Arabic
- Currency
- Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD)
- Time zones
- UTC+3
- Calling code
- +965
- Emergency numbers
- 112
- Driving side
- Right
- Plug types
- C, G
- Mains voltage
- 240 V
Territory
- Sea access
- Has a coastline
- Coastline, km
- 499
- Neighbours
- Iraq, Saudi Arabia
- Agricultural land
- 8.4% 2024
Elevation
- Highest point
- 300 m
- Lowest point
- Persian Gulf, 0 m
- Mean elevation, m
- 108
Climate
- Average temperature in the capital, °C
- 26
- Warmest month in the capital
- August, 37°C
- Coldest month in the capital
- January, 14°C
- Precipitation, mm per year
- 121 2022
Population and migration
- Population density
- 273.1 per km² 2025
- Population growth per year
- -0.7% 2025
- Living in cities
- 100% 2025
- Net migration per year
- +42.8K 2025
- Born in another country
- 67.3% 2024
Age and life expectancy
- Aged 0–14
- 18% 2025
- Aged 15–64
- 78.9% 2025
- Aged 65 and over
- 3.2% 2025
- Life expectancy, women
- 85.4 years 2024
- Life expectancy, men
- 83.8 years 2024
Births and deaths
- Children per woman
- 1.6 2024
- Births per 1,000 people
- 10 2024
- Deaths per 1,000 people
- 1.5 2024
Society
- Religions
- Muslim 74.6%, Christian 18.2%, and other 7.2% (2013)
Quality of governance (100 = best)
- Rule of law, score 0–100
- 61.9 2025
- Control of corruption, score 0–100
- 53.8 2025
- Government effectiveness, score 0–100
- 57.6 2025
- Regulatory quality, score 0–100
- 61.7 2025
- Voice and accountability, score 0–100
- 40.9 2025
Size and growth
- GDP per person at purchasing power parity
- $56,468 2025
- GDP growth per year
- +2.7% 2025
Income and prices
- Income level (World Bank)
- High income
- Gross national income per person
- $41,110 2024
- Inflation
- +2.4% 2025
- Price level, USA = 100
- 58 2025
Structure and jobs
- Agriculture, share of GDP
- 0.5% 2025
- Industry, share of GDP
- 54.1% 2025
- Services, share of GDP
- 59.6% 2025
- Unemployment
- 2.2% 2025
- Youth unemployment, ages 15–24
- 15.1% 2025
- Women in work or seeking work
- 47.2% 2025
Trade and finance
- Exports, share of GDP
- 55.8% 2024
- Imports, share of GDP
- 38.2% 2024
- Current account balance, share of GDP
- +22.7% 2025
- Foreign direct investment, share of GDP
- +0.3% 2025
- Remittances received, share of GDP
- 0% 2025
- Tax revenue, share of GDP
- 1.5% 1998
Education
- Adult literacy
- 96.5% 2020
- Primary school enrolment
- 82.4% 2021
- Secondary school enrolment
- 95.4% 2015
- Higher education enrolment
- 51.9% 2021
- Public spending on education, share of GDP
- 6.4% 2024
Healthcare
- Health spending, share of GDP
- 5% 2023
- Health spending per person
- $1,679 2023
- Out-of-pocket health spending, share of total
- 10% 2023
- Doctors per 1,000 people
- 2.3 2020
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people
- 4.6 2020
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people
- 2.3 2020
- Children vaccinated against measles
- 98% 2024
Public health
- Infant deaths per 1,000 births
- 7 2024
- Deaths under age 5 per 1,000 births
- 8.1 2024
- Maternal deaths per 100,000 births
- 8 2023
- HIV prevalence, ages 15–49
- 0.1% 2024
- Diabetes prevalence, ages 20–79
- 25.6% 2024
- Overweight adults
- 77.8% 2022
- Adults who use tobacco
- 19.4% 2024
Living conditions
- Access to safe drinking water
- 100% 2024
- Access to basic sanitation
- 100% 2024
- Access to clean cooking fuels
- 100% 2024
Safety
- Homicides per 100,000 people
- 0.3 2020
- Road deaths per 100,000 people
- 15.4 2019
- Suicides per 100,000 people
- 2.3 2021
- Political stability and absence of violence, score 0–100
- 73 2025
- Natural hazards
- dust and sand storms
Air and emissions
- Air pollution PM2.5, µg/m³
- 62.4 2023
- CO₂ emissions, tonnes per person
- 23.7 2024
- All greenhouse gases, tonnes CO₂e per person
- 35.4 2024
Nature and water
- Forest cover
- 0.3% 2024
- Protected areas
- 11.5% 2025
- Renewable fresh water, m³ per person
- 0 2022
- Water stress, share of fresh water withdrawn
- 3,851% 2022
Internet and communications
- Using the internet
- 100% 2025
- Mobile subscriptions per 100 people
- 168 2023
- Home broadband per 100 people
- 1 2023
- Internet domain
- .kw
Energy
- Access to electricity
- 100% 2024
- Electricity use, kWh per person
- 16,626 2024
- Renewable share of energy use
- 0.1% 2021
- Electricity from renewables
- 0.3% 2021
- Electricity from fossil fuels
- 99.8% 2024
Transport
- Air passengers per year
- 9,499,895 2023
- Airports
- 6 2025
Science and innovation
- Research spending, share of GDP
- 0.1% 2024
- Researchers per million people
- 145 2024
- Scientific articles per year
- 1,395 2023
- Patent applications by residents
- 30 2024
- High-tech share of manufactured exports
- 10.2% 2024