Map of Kuwait | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Kuwait has been ruled by the AL-SABAH dynasty since the 18th century. The threat of Ottoman invasion in 1899 prompted Amir Mubarak AL-SABAH to seek protection from Britain ceding foreign and defense responsibility to Britain until 1961 when the country attained its independence. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment a US-led UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. The AL-SABAH family returned to power in 1991 and established one of the most independent legislatures in the Arab World. The country witnessed the historic election in 2009 of four women to its National Assembly. Amid the 2010-11 uprisings and protests across the Arab world stateless Arabs known as bidoon staged small protests in February and March 2011 demanding citizenship jobs and other benefits available to Kuwaiti nationals. Youth activist groups - supported by opposition legislators - rallied repeatedly in 2011 for the prime minister's dismissal amid allegations of widespread government corruption ultimately prompting the prime minister to resign in late 2011. Demonstrations following a short lull renewed in late 2012 in response to an Amiri decree amending the electoral law to reduce the number of votes per person from four to one. The opposition led by a coalition of Sunni Islamists tribalists some liberals and myriad youth groups largely boycotted legislative elections in 2012 and 2013 which ushered in a legislature more amenable to the government's agenda. Since coming to power in 2006 the Amir has dissolved the National Assembly on five occasions (the Constitutional Court annulled the Assembly in June 2012 and again in June 2013) and shuffled the cabinet over a dozen times usually citing political stagnation and gridlock between the legislature and the government.


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Location: Middle East bordering the Persian Gulf between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates: 29 30 N 45 45 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 17,818 km²
Land: 17,818 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 158
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries
Total: 475 km
Border countries: (2) Iraq 254 km; Saudi Arabia 221 km

Coastline: 499 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short cool winters

Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
Extremes highest point: unnamed elevation 306 m

Natural resources: petroleum fish shrimp natural gas

Land use
Agricultural land: 8.5%
Forest: 0.4%
Other: 91.1%

Irrigated land: 86 km² (2007)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 0.02 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year but are most common between March and August

Geography
Note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf


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Population: 2,788,534
Note: Kuwait's Public Authority for Civil Information estimates the country's total population to be 3,996,899 for 2014 with immigrants accounting for almost 69%
Rank: 141
Growth rate: 1.62%
Growth rate note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates
Growth rate rank: 73
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Kuwaiti
Adjective: Kuwaiti

Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 31.3% other Arab 27.9% Asian 37.8% African 1.9% other 1.1% (includes European North American South American and Australian) (2013 est.)

Languages: Arabic (official) English widely spoken

Religions: Muslim (official) 76.7% Christian 17.3% other and unspecified 5.9%
Note: represents the total population; about 69% of the population consists of immigrants

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 25.32%
15-24 years: 15.21%
25-54 years: 52.32%
55-64 years: 4.82%
65 years and over: 2.33% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 32.1%
Youth dependency ratio: 29.5%
Elderly dependency ratio: 2.6%
Potential support ratio: 38.4%

Median age
Total: 29 years
Male: 30.2 years
Female: 27 years

Population growth rate: 1.62%
Note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates
Rank: 73

Birth rate: 19.91 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 84

Death rate: 2.18 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 223

Net migration rate: -1.58 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 158

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 98.3% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.63% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: KUWAIT (capital) 2.779 million (2015)

Environment
Current issues: limited natural freshwater resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Environmental Modification Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Dumping

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
0-14 years: 1.08 male/female
15-24 years: 1.22 male/female
25-54 years: 1.73 male/female
55-64 years: 1.33 male/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male/female
Total population: 1.41 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 7.31 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 7.09 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 7.54 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 158

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.82 years
Male: 76.51 years
Female: 79.19 years
Rank: 64

Total fertility rate: 2.48 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 80

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 1.79 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 2.2 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access:
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population

Hiv/Aids
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 38.3% (2014)
Rank: 10

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 2.2% (2012)
Rank: 120

Education expenditures: 3.8% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 116

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 96.3%
Male: 96.5%
Female: 95.8%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: State of Kuwait
Conventional short form: Kuwait
Local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt
Local short form: Al Kuwayt
Etymology: the name derives from the capital city which is from Arabic 'al-Kuwayt' a diminutive of 'kut' meaning 'fortress encircled by water'

Government type: constitutional emirate

Capital
Name: Kuwait City
Geographic coordinates: 29 22 N 47 58 E
Time difference: UTC+3

Administrative divisions: 6 governorates (muhafazat singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi Al 'Asimah Al Farwaniyah Al Jahra' Hawalli Mubarak al Kabir

Dependent areas

Independence: 19 June 1961 (from the UK)

National holiday: National Day 25 February (1950)

Constitution: approved and promulgated 11 November 1962 (2015)

Legal system: mixed legal system consisting of English common law French civil law and Islamic religious law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
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

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal; note - members of the military or police by law cannot vote; all voters must have been citizens for 20 years

Executive branch
Chief of state: Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah ; Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (born 25 June 1937)
Head of government: Prime Minister JABIR AL-MUBARAK al-Hamad al-Sabah ; First Deputy Prime Minister SABAH Khaled al-Hamad al-Sabah; Deputy Prime Ministers al-KHALD al-Jarrah al-Sabah MUHAMMAD AL-KHALID al-Hamad al-Sabah Abdulmohsen MUDEJ
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister approved by the amir
Electionsappointments: amir chosen from within the ruling family confirmed by the National Assembly; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the amir

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma
Elections: last held 27 July 2013
Election results: seats won - pro-government 30 liberal 9 Shiite 8 Sunni 3

Judicial branch
Highest court: Constitutional Court ; Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (organized into several circuits each with 5 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: all Kuwaiti judges appointed by the Amir upon recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council a consultative body comprised of Kuwaiti judges and Ministry of Justice officials
Subordinate courts: High Court of Appeal; Court of First Instance; Summary Court

Political parties and leaders: none; while the formation of political parties is not permitted they are not forbidden by law

International organization participation: ABEDA AfDB (nonregional member) AFESD AMF BDEAC CAEU CD FAO G-77 GCC IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAS MIGA NAM OAPEC OIC OPCW OPEC Paris Club (associate) PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNRWA UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM al-Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah
In the us chancery: 2,940 Tilden Street NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 966-0702
In the us FAX: [1] 966-8,468
In the us consulate general: Los Angeles
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Douglas Alan SILLIMAN
From the us embassy: Bayan 36,302 Block 13 Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street Kuwait City
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13,001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 9,880-9,000
From the us telephone: [965] 2,259-1001 [965] 2,259-1001
From the us FAX: [965] 2,538-6,562 [965] 2,538-6,562

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top) white and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side; colors and design are based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I; green represents fertile fields white stands for purity red denotes blood on Kuwaiti swords black signifies the defeat of the enemy

National symbols: golden falcon; national colors: green white red black

National anthem
Name: 'Al-Nasheed Al-Watani'
Lyrics and music: Ahmad MUSHARI al-Adwani/Ibrahim Nasir al-SOULA
Note: adopted 1978; the anthem is only used on formal occasions

National heritage


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Economy overview: Kuwait has a geographically small but wealthy relatively open economy with crude oil reserves of about 102 billion barrels - more than 6% of world reserves. Kuwaiti officials plan to increase oil production to 4 million barrels per day by 2020. Petroleum accounts for over half of GDP 94% of export revenues and 89% of government income. For the last decade high oil prices have generated budget surpluses despite increasing budget expenditures particularly on wage hikes for public sector employees. Despite Kuwait’s dependence on oil the government has cushioned itself against the impact of lower oil prices by continuous saving of at least 10% of government revenue in the Fund for Future Generations. Kuwait has done little to diversify its economy in part due to a poor business climate and an acrimonious relationship between the National Assembly and the executive branch that has stymied most economic reforms. In 2010 Kuwait passed its first long-term economic development plan in almost twenty-five years. While the government planned to spend up $104 billion over four years to diversify the economy away from oil attract more investment and boost private sector participation in the economy many of the projects did not materialize because of the uncertain political situation.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 54

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 199

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 10

Gross national saving:
Rank: 6

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 28.2%
Government consumption: 19.4%
Investment in fixed capital: 15.8%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 67.9%
Imports of goods and services: -31.3%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.4%
Industry: 60.6%
Services: 39%

Agriculture products: fish

Industries: petroleum petrochemicals cement shipbuilding and repair water desalination food processing construction materials

Industrial production growth rate: -1.3% (2014 est.)
Rank: 176

Labor force: 2.397 million
Note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 60% of the labor force
Rank: 116
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 22

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $87.62 billion
Expenditures: $75.28 billion
Surplus or deficit: 7.1% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 9

Taxes and other revenues: 50.8% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 15

Public debt:
Rank: 170

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 123

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 124

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 160

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 62

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 52

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 54

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 44

Current account balance:
Rank: 11

Exports:
Rank: 38
Commodities: oil and refined products fertilizers
Partners: South Korea 16.7% India 14.9% Japan 12.3% US 11.3% China 9.9% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 69
Commodities: food construction materials vehicles and parts clothing
Partners: US 12.7% China 11.9% Saudi Arabia 7.1% South Korea 6.9% Japan 6.6% Germany 4.8% India 4.2% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 48

Debt external:
Rank: 71

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 101

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 45

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 58.9 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 47
Consumption: 50 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 47
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 159
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 169
Installed generating capacity: 14.7 million kW (2012 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 49
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 16
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 122
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 181
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 189

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 2.619 million bbl/day (2014 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 9
Crude oil exports: 1.824 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 7
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 210
Crude oil proven reserves: 104 billion bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 6

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 772,300 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products production rank: 25
Products consumption: 467,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 35
Products exports: 533,100 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products exports rank: 12
Products imports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products imports rank: 210

Natural gas
Production: 16.31 billion m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 35
Consumption: 16.88 billion m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 39
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 129
Imports: 571 million m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 64
Proven reserves: 1.798 trillion m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 21

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 105.7 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 40

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 490,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18
Fixed lines rank: 97
Mobile cellular total: 7.6 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 277
Mobile cellular rank: 100

Telephone system
General assessment: the quality of service is excellent
Domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay coaxial cable and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a mobile-cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait and the country is well supplied with pay telephones
International: country code - 965; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe ; linked to Bahrain Qatar UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 6 (3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean 1 Inmarsat - Atlantic Ocean and 2 Arabsat) (2011)

Broadcast media: state-owned TV broadcaster operates 4 networks and a satellite channel; several private TV broadcasters have emerged since 2003; satellite TV available with pan-Arab TV stations especially popular; state-owned Radio Kuwait broadcasts on a number of channels in Arabic and English; first private radio station emerged in 2005; transmissions of at least 2 international radio broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .kw
Users total: 2.4 million
Users percent of population: 86.9%
Users rank: 93

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 132

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription suspended (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 7 (2013)
Rank: 168
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways: 2 (2013)

Heliports: 4 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 261 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2013)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 6,608 km
Rank: 149

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 34
By type: bulk carrier 2 carrier 3 container 6 liquefied gas 4 petroleum tanker 19
Registered in other countries: 45 (2010)
Rank: 82

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Ash Shu'aybah Ash Shuwaykh Az Zawr Mina' 'Abd Allah Mina' al Ahmadi


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Disputes international: Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 93,000 ; note - Kuwait's 1959 Nationality Law defined citizens as persons who settled in the country before 1920 and who had maintained normal residence since then; one-third of the population descendants of Bedouin tribes missed the window of opportunity to register for nationality rights after Kuwait became independent in 1961 and were classified as bidun (meaning without); since the 1980s Kuwait's bidun have progressively lost their rights including opportunities for employment and education amid official claims that they are nationals of other countries who have destroyed their identification documents in hopes of gaining Kuwaiti citizenship; Kuwaiti authorities have delayed processing citizenship applications and labeled biduns as 'illegal residents' denying them access to civil documentation such as birth and marriage certificates

Illicit drugs