Page last updated on February 3, 2014
Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. 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 has ruled since returning to power in 1991 and reestablished an elected legislature that in recent years has become increasingly assertive. 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 bidun, 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. Demonstrators forced the prime minister to resign in late 2011. In late 2012, Kuwait witnessed unprecedented protests in response to the Amir's changes to the electoral law by decree reducing 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 ushering in legislatures more amenable to the government's agenda. Since 2006, the Amir has dissolved the National Assembly on five occasions (the Constitutional Court annulled the Assembly once in June 2012) and shuffled the cabinet 13 times, usually citing political stagnation and gridlock between the legislature and the government.
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
total: 17,818 sq km
country comparison to the world: 158
land: 17,818 sq km
water: 0 sq km
slightly smaller than New Jersey
total: 462 km
border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
flat to slightly undulating desert plain
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unnamed elevation 306 m
petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
arable land: 0.62%
permanent crops: 0.28%
other: 99.1% (2011)
total: 0.91 cu km/yr (47%/2%/51%)
per capita: 441.2 cu m/yr (2005)
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
limited natural freshwater resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
noun: Kuwaiti(s)
adjective: Kuwaiti
Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Muslim (official) 85% (Sunni 70%, Shia 30%), other (includes Christian, Hindu, Parsi) 15%
2,695,316 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals
0-14 years: 25.6% (male 358,415/female 330,467)
15-24 years: 15.4% (male 228,147/female 187,035)
25-54 years: 52.3% (male 896,693/female 514,196)
55-64 years: 4.5% (male 70,863/female 51,660)
65 years and over: 2.1% (male 27,995/female 29,845) (2013 est.)
total dependency ratio: 37.2 %
youth dependency ratio: 34 %
elderly dependency ratio: 3.2 %
potential support ratio: 31.3 (2013)
total: 28.8 years
male: 30 years
female: 26.6 years (2013 est.)
1.79%
country comparison to the world: 69
note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2013 est.)
20.61 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
2.14 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 224
-0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
urban population: 98.3% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 2.42% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
KUWAIT (capital) 2.23 million (2009)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.22 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.75 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.4 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
total population: 1.43 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
14 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 146
total: 7.68 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 159
male: 7.41 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 77.46 years
country comparison to the world: 66
male: 76.24 years
female: 78.75 years (2013 est.)
2.56 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
2.7% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 182
1.79 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
2 beds/1,000 population (2009)
0.1% (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
42% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 10
1.7% (2009)
country comparison to the world: 122
3.8% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 120
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.9%
male: 95%
female: 91.8% (2008 est.)
total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 15 years (2004)
total: 11.3%
country comparison to the world: 103
male: 11.8%
female: 10% (2005)
conventional long form: State of Kuwait
conventional short form: Kuwait
local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt
local short form: Al Kuwayt
name: Kuwait City
geographic coordinates: 29 22 N, 47 58 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al 'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak al Kabir
19 June 1961 (from the UK)
National Day, 25 February (1950)
approved and promulgated 11 November 1962 (2013)
mixed legal system consisting of English common law, French civil law, and Islamic religious law
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
21 years of age; universal; note - males in the military or police are by law not allowed to vote; all voters must have been citizens for 20 years
chief of state: Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29 January 2006); 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 (since 30 November 2011); First Deputy Prime Minister KHALID al-Jarrah al-Sabah; Deputy Prime Ministers MUHAMMAD AL-KHALID al-Hamad al-Sabah, SALIM al-Abd al-Aziz al-Saud al-Sabah, Mustafa al-Jassim al-SHAMALI
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the amir; new cabinet formed in February 2012
elections: none; the amir is hereditary; the amir appoints the prime minister and deputy prime ministers
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (65 seats - 50 members elected by popular vote plus 16 cabinet ministers, one of whom is also an elected MP, appointed by the prime minister as ex officio voting members; elected members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 July 2013 (next to be held in July 2017)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats won - tribal and liberal groups 27, Shiite 8, Sunni 7, other 8
highest court(s): Constitutional Court (five judges); Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (organized into several circuits, each with five 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
none; while the formation of political parties is not permitted, they are not forbidden by law
other: Islamists; merchants; political groups; secular liberals and pro-governmental deputies; Shia activists; tribal groups
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
chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM al-Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 10 October 2001)
chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702
FAX: [1] (202) 364-2868
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
chief of mission: Ambassador Matthew H. TUELLER (since 9 September 2011)
embassy: Bayan 36302, Block 13, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City
mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880-9000
telephone: [965] 2259-1001
FAX: [965] 2538-0282
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
name: "Al-Nasheed Al-Watani" (National Anthem)
lyrics/music: Ahmad MUSHARI al-Adwani/Ibrahim Nasir al-SOULA
note: adopted 1978; the anthem is only used on formal occasions
Kuwait has a geographically small, but wealthy, relatively open economy with crude oil reserves of about 102 billion barrels - about 7% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and 95% of government income. Kuwaiti officials have committed to increasing oil production to 4 million barrels per day by 2020. The rise in global oil prices throughout 2011 and 2012 is reviving government consumption and economic growth. Kuwait has experienced a 20% increase in government budget revenue, which has led to higher budget expenditures, particularly wage hikes for many public sector employees. Kuwait has done little to diversify its economy, in part, because of this positive fiscal situation, and, in part, due to the poor business climate and the historically acrimonious relationship between the National Assembly and the executive branch, which has stymied most movement on economic reforms. In 2010, Kuwait passed an economic development plan that pledges to spend up to $130 billion over five years to diversify the economy away from oil, attract more investment, and boost private sector participation in the economy.
$150.9 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
6.2% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41
$39,900 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
59% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
household consumption: 21.8%
government consumption: 14.7%
investment in fixed capital: 14%
investment in inventories: 0%
exports of goods and services: 73.4%
imports of goods and services: -23.9%
agriculture: 0.3%
industry: 49.9%
services: 49.8% (2012 est.)
petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water desalination, food processing, construction materials
9.3% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
2.304 million
country comparison to the world: 116
note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 60% of the labor force (2012 est.)
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
2.2% (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $115.8 billion
expenditures: $58.08 billion (2012 est.)
63.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
31.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
6% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
2.9% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
1.25% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
5% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
$27.55 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
$109.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
$89.13 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
$100.9 billion (31 December 2011)
country comparison to the world: 39
$80.33 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
$121 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
oil and refined products, fertilizers
South Korea 16.1%, India 15.7%, Japan 13.4%, US 11.7%, China 9.2%, Singapore 4.2% (2012)
$22.79 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing
US 11.8%, China 9.2%, Saudi Arabia 8.6%, Japan 8.2%, South Korea 6.9%, Germany 5.1%, Italy 4.7%, India 4.6%, UAE 4.4% (2012)
$29 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
$29.76 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
$5.212 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
$52.59 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US dollar -
55.55 billion kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
46.71 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208
12.68 million kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
2.797 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
1.395 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
104 billion bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 6
915,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
339,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
656,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 212
13.53 billion cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
12.62 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
688 million cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
1.798 trillion cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 21
82.37 million Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
510,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 96
5.526 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 105
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 (FLAG); 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)
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)
2,771 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 156
1.1 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 96
7 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 168
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m:
gas 261 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2013)
total: 6,608 km (2010)
country comparison to the world: 148
total: 34
country comparison to the world: 82
by type: bulk carrier 2, carrier 3, container 6, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 19
registered in other countries: 45 (Bahamas 1, Bahrain 5, Comoros 1, Libya 1, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 2, Panama 12, Qatar 6, Saudi Arabia 4, UAE 10) (2010)
major seaport(s): Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi
Kuwaiti Land Forces (KLF), Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya; includes Kuwaiti Air Defense Force, KADF), Kuwaiti National Guard (KNG) (2013)
17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription suspended (2012)
males age 16-49: 1,002,480
females age 16-49: 616,958 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 840,912
females age 16-49: 523,206 (2010 est.)
male: 17,653
female: 16,232 (2010 est.)
0% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 51
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf
stateless persons: 93,000 (2012); 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; 2011 bidun demonstrations for the recognition of their Kuwaiti nationality led to several arrests
