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 in August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led UN coalition began a ground assault in February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. In 1992, the Amir reconstituted the parliament that he had dissolved in 1986. Amid the 2010-11 uprisings and protests across the Arab world, stateless Arabs, known as Bidoon, staged small protests in early 2011 demanding citizenship, jobs, and other benefits available to Kuwaiti nationals. Other demographic groups, notably Islamists and Kuwaitis from tribal backgrounds, soon joined the growing protest movements, which culminated in late 2011 with the resignation of the prime minister amidst allegations of corruption. Demonstrations renewed in late 2012 in response to an amiri decree amending the electoral law that lessened the voting power of the tribal blocs.
An opposition coalition of Sunni Islamists, tribal populists, and some liberals, largely boycotted legislative elections in 2012 and 2013, which ushered in a legislature more amenable to the government's agenda. Faced with the prospect of painful subsidy cuts, oppositionists and independents actively participated in the November 2016 election, winning nearly half of the seats but a cohesive opposition alliance largely ceased to exist with the 2016 election and the opposition became increasingly factionalized. Since coming to power in 2006, the Amir has dissolved the National Assembly on seven occasions (the Constitutional Court annulled the Assembly elections 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.
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": { "text": "Kuwaiti(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Kuwaiti" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "Kuwaiti 30.4%, other Arab 27.4%, Asian 40.3%, African 1%, other .9% (includes European, North American, South American, and Australian) (2018 est.)" }, "Languages": { "text": "Arabic (official), English widely spoken" }, "Religions": { "text": "Muslim (official) 74.6%, Christian 18.2%, other and unspecified 7.2% (2013 est.)", "note": "note: data represent the total population; about 69% of the population consists of immigrants
" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "24.29% (male 378,778/female 348,512)" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "14.96% (male 245,354/female 202,642)" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "52.39% (male 984,813/female 583,632)" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "5.43% (male 90,583/female 72,026)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "2.92% (male 38,614/female 48,752) (2020 est.)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "32.4" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "28.4" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "4" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "24.9 (2020 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "29.7 years" }, "male": { "text": "30.7 years" }, "female": { "text": "27.9 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "1.2% (2021 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "17.9 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "2.23 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "-3.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "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": { "text": "100% of total population (2020)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "1.78% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "3.115 million KUWAIT (capital) (2020)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.05 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.09 male(s)/female" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "1.21 male(s)/female" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "1.69 male(s)/female" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "1.26 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.79 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "1.38 male(s)/female (2020 est.)" } }, "Maternal mortality rate": { "text": "12 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "7.6 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "male": { "text": "7.89 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "7.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "78.9 years" }, "male": { "text": "77.44 years" }, "female": { "text": "80.43 years (2021 est.)" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "2.25 children born/woman (2021 est.)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: total": { "text": "total: 100% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 0% of population (2017 est.)" } }, "Current Health Expenditure": { "text": "5.3% (2017)" }, "Physicians density": { "text": "2.65 physicians/1,000 population (2015)" }, "Hospital bed density": { "text": "2 beds/1,000 population (2017)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: total": { "text": "total: 100% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 0% of population (2017 est.)" } }, "HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "<.1% (2018 est.)" }, "HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS": { "text": "<1000 (2018 est.)" }, "HIV/AIDS - deaths": { "text": "<100 (2018 est.)" }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "37.9% (2016)" }, "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { "text": "3% (2014)" }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "NA" }, "Literacy": { "definition": { "text": "age 15 and over can read and write" }, "total population": { "text": "96.1%" }, "male": { "text": "96.7%" }, "female": { "text": "94.9% (2018)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "15 years" }, "male": { "text": "14 years" }, "female": { "text": "16 years (2015)" } }, "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24": { "total": { "text": "15.4%" }, "male": { "text": "9.4% N/A" }, "female": { "text": "30% N/A (2016 est.)" } } }, "Government": { "Country name": { "conventional long form": { "text": "State of Kuwait" }, "conventional short form": { "text": "Kuwait" }, "local long form": { "text": "Dawlat al Kuwayt" }, "local short form": { "text": "Al Kuwayt" }, "etymology": { "text": "the name derives from the capital city, which is 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" } }, "Government type": { "text": "constitutional monarchy (emirate)" }, "Capital": { "name": { "text": "Kuwait City" }, "geographic coordinates": { "text": "29 22 N, 47 58 E" }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" }, "note": "note: seats as of May 2019 - oppositionists and independents, including populists, Islamists, and liberals 25, pro-government loyalists 25; composition as of May 2019 for elected members only - men 49, women 1, percent of women 2%
" }, "Judicial branch": { "highest courts": { "text": "Constitutional Court (consists of 5 judges); Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (organized into several circuits, each with 5 judges)" }, "judge selection and term of office": { "text": "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": { "text": "High Court of Appeal; Court of First Instance; Summary Court" } }, "Political parties and leaders": { "text": "none; the government does not recognize any political parties or allow their formation, although no formal law bans political parties" }, "International organization participation": { "text": "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, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO" }, "Diplomatic representation in the US": { "chief of mission": { "text": "Ambassador SALIM al-Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 10 October 2001)" }, "chancery": { "text": "2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008" }, "telephone": { "text": "[1] (202) 966-0702" }, "FAX": { "text": "[1] (202) 966-8468" }, "consulate(s) general": { "text": "New York City" }, "consulate(s)": { "text": "Lost Angeles" } }, "Diplomatic representation from the US": { "chief of mission": { "text": "Alina L. Romanowski (since 6 January 2020)" }, "telephone": { "text": "[965] 2259-1001" }, "embassy": { "text": "P.O. Box 77, Safat 13001" }, "mailing address": { "text": "P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880-9000" }, "FAX": { "text": "[965] 2538-6562" } }, "Flag description": { "text": "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 symbol(s)": { "text": "golden falcon; national colors: green, white, red, black" }, "National anthem": { "name": { "text": "\"Al-Nasheed Al-Watani\" (National Anthem)" }, "lyrics/music": { "text": "Ahmad MUSHARI al-Adwani/Ibrahim Nasir al-SOULA" }, "note": "note: adopted 1978; the anthem is only used on formal occasions
" } }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { "text": "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 production to 4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2020. Petroleum accounts for over half of GDP, 92% of export revenues, and 90% of government income.
With world oil prices declining, Kuwait realized a budget deficit in 2015 for the first time more than a decade; in 2016, the deficit grew to 16.5% of GDP. Kuwaiti authorities announced cuts to fuel subsidies in August 2016, provoking outrage among the public and National Assembly, and the Amir dissolved the government for the seventh time in ten years. In 2017 the deficit was reduced to 7.2% of GDP, and the government raised $8 billion by issuing international bonds. Despite Kuwait’s dependence on oil, the government has cushioned itself against the impact of lower oil prices, by saving annually at least 10% of government revenue in the Fund for Future Generations.
Kuwait has failed to diversify its economy or bolster the private sector, because of a poor business climate, a large public sector that employs about 74% of citizens, and an acrimonious relationship between the National Assembly and the executive branch that has stymied most economic reforms. The Kuwaiti Government has made little progress on its long-term economic development plan first passed in 2010. While the government planned to spend up to $104 billion over four years to diversify the economy, attract more investment, and boost private sector participation in the economy, many of the projects did not materialize because of an uncertain political situation or delays in awarding contracts. To increase non-oil revenues, the Kuwaiti Government in August 2017 approved draft bills supporting a Gulf Cooperation Council-wide value added tax scheduled to take effect in 2018.
" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2017": { "text": "-3.3% (2017 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2016": { "text": "2.2% (2016 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2015": { "text": "-1% (2015 est.)" } }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": { "text": "1.5% (2017 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016": { "text": "3.5% (2016 est.)" } }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "AA (2008)" }, "Moody's rating": { "text": "A1 (2020)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "AA- (2020)" } }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { "text": "$209.738 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018": { "text": "$208.845 billion (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017": { "text": "$206.274 billion (2017 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars
" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$134.638 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2019": { "text": "$49,854 (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2018": { "text": "$50,479 (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2017": { "text": "$50,856 (2017 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars
" }, "Gross national saving": { "Gross national saving 2017": { "text": "35.4% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Gross national saving 2016": { "text": "32.9% of GDP (2016 est.)" }, "Gross national saving 2015": { "text": "37.1% of GDP (2015 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "0.4% (2017 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "58.7% (2017 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "40.9% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "43.1% (2017 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "24.5% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "26.5% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "3.5% (2017 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "49.4% (2017 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-47% (2017 est.)" } }, "Ease of Doing Business Index scores": { "Overall Ease of Doing Business score 2020": { "text": "88.4 (2020)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "eggs, dates, tomatoes, cucumbers, poultry, milk, mutton, potatoes, vegetables, eggplants" }, "Industries": { "text": "petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water desalination, food processing, construction materials" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "2.8% (2017 est.)" }, "Labor force": { "text": "2.695 million (2017 est.)", "note": "note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 60% of the labor force
" }, "Labor force - by occupation": { "agriculture": { "text": "NA" }, "industry": { "text": "NA" }, "services": { "text": "NA" } }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2017": { "text": "1.1% (2017 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2016": { "text": "1.1% (2016 est.)" } }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "NA" }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "NA" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "NA" } }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "50.5 billion (2017 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "62.6 billion (2017 est.)" } }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "41.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "-10% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2017": { "text": "20.6% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt 2016": { "text": "9.9% of GDP (2016 est.)" } }, "Fiscal year": { "text": "1 April - 31 March" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2017": { "text": "$7.127 billion (2017 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2016": { "text": "-$5.056 billion (2016 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2018": { "text": "$84.825 billion (2018 est.)" }, "Exports 2017": { "text": "$89.098 billion (2017 est.)" } }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "South Korea 18.3%, China 17.4%, Japan 11.5%, India 11.2%, Singapore 6.3%, US 5.7% (2017)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "oil and refined products, fertilizers" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2018": { "text": "$54.556 billion (2018 est.)" }, "Imports 2017": { "text": "$55.025 billion (2017 est.)" } }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "China 13.5%, US 13.3%, UAE 9.5%, Saudi Arabia 5.8%, Germany 5.4%, Japan 5%, India 4.7%, Italy 4.5% (2017)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": { "text": "$33.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016": { "text": "$31.13 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 31 December 2017": { "text": "$47.24 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Debt - external 31 December 2016": { "text": "$38.34 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Exchange rates": { "currency": { "text": "Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2020": { "text": "0.3049 (2020 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2019": { "text": "0.3037 (2019 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2018": { "text": "0.304 (2018 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2014": { "text": "0.3009 (2014 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2013": { "text": "0.2845 (2013 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "100% (2020)" } }, "Electricity - production": { "text": "65.95 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - consumption": { "text": "57.78 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - exports": { "text": "0 kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - imports": { "text": "0 kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - installed generating capacity": { "text": "18.89 million kW (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from fossil fuels": { "text": "100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from nuclear fuels": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from hydroelectric plants": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from other renewable sources": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Crude oil - production": { "text": "2.807 million bbl/day (2018 est.)" }, "Crude oil - exports": { "text": "479,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - imports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - proved reserves": { "text": "101.5 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - production": { "text": "915,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - consumption": { "text": "446,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - exports": { "text": "705,500 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - imports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Natural gas - production": { "text": "17.1 billion cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - consumption": { "text": "21.72 billion cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - exports": { "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - imports": { "text": "5.125 billion cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - proved reserves": { "text": "1.784 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)" }, "Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy": { "text": "106.5 million Mt (2017 est.)" } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "368,305" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "12.46 (2019 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "5,147,990" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "174.16 (2019 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "the quality of service is excellent; 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 4G LTE mobile-cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait; Internet access is available via 4G LTE connections for fixed and mobile users; high ownership of smart phone in Kuwait; one of the highest mobile penetration rates in the world; exploring 5G opportunities; improvements to fiber-broadband underway (2020)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line subscriptions are 12 per 100 and mobile-cellular stands at 174 per 100 subscriptions (2019)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 965; landing points for the FOG, GBICS, MENA, Kuwait-Iran, and FALCON submarine cables linking Africa, the Middle East, and Asia; 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) (2019)" }, "note": "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": { "text": "92,020 (2019); 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" } }, "Trafficking in persons": { "current situation": { "text": "Kuwait is a destination country for men and women subjected to forced labor and, to a lesser degree, forced prostitution; men and women migrate from South and Southeast Asia, Egypt, the Middle East, and increasingly Africa to work in Kuwait, most of them in the domestic service, construction, and sanitation sectors; although most of these migrants enter Kuwait voluntarily, upon arrival some are subjected to conditions of forced labor by their sponsors and labor agents, including debt bondage; Kuwait’s sponsorship law restricts workers’ movements and penalizes them for running away from abusive workplaces, making domestic workers particularly vulnerable to forced labor in private homes" }, "tier rating": { "text": "Tier 3 - Kuwait does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making sufficient efforts to do so; although investigations into visa fraud rings lead to the referral of hundreds of people for prosecution, including complicit officials, the government has not prosecuted or convicted any suspected traffickers; authorities made no effort to enforce the prohibition against withholding workers’ passports, as mandated under Kuwaiti law; punishment of forced labor cases was limited to shutting down labor recruitment firms, assessing fines, and ordering the return of withheld passports and the paying of back-wages; the government made progress in victims’ protection by opening a high-capacity shelter for runaway domestic workers but still lacks formal procedures to identify and refer victims to care services (2015)" } } } }