Kuwait People - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population

3,103,580 (2023 est.)

note: Kuwait's Public Authority for Civil Information estimates the country's total population to be 4,420,110 for 2019, with non-Kuwaitis accounting for nearly 70% of the population

Nationality

noun: Kuwaiti(s)

adjective: Kuwaiti

Ethnic groups

Kuwaiti 30.4%, other Arab 27.4%, Asian 40.3%, African 1%, other 0.9% (includes European, North American, South American, and Australian) (2018 est.)

Languages

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.

Arabic audio sample:

Religions

Muslim (official) 74.6%, Christian 18.2%, other and unspecified 7.2% (2013 est.)

note: data represent the total population; about 72% of the population consists of immigrants

MENA religious affiliation

Age structure

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)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 34.4

youth dependency ratio: 28.4

elderly dependency ratio: 6

potential support ratio: 24.9 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 29.7 years

male: 30.7 years

female: 27.9 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

1.13% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Net migration rate

-4.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

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

Urbanization

urban population: 100% of total population (2023)

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

total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030

Major urban areas - population

3.298 million KUWAIT (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.09 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.52 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

total population: 1.37 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

7 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 7.27 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 7.57 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 6.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 79.35 years

male: 77.89 years

female: 80.87 years (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.22 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.09 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

N/A

Drinking water source

improved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

6.3% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density

2.34 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density

2 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

37.9% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 17.9% (2020 est.)

male: 33.5% (2020 est.)

female: 2.2% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3% (2014)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

59.6% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

6.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 96.5%

male: 97.1%

female: 95.4% (2020)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years

male: 13 years

female: 16 years (2015)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 25.5%

male: 17.1%

female: 46.2% (2021 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Kuwait on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Kuwait 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Kuwait 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.