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Middle East
Page last updated: July 25, 2023
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. Between 2006 and his death in 2020, the previous Kuwaiti Amir 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.
The current Amir, who assumed his role in 2020, launched a "National Dialogue" in September 2021 meant to resolve political gridlock. As part of the "National Dialogue," the Amir pardoned several opposition figures who had been living in exile, and they returned to Kuwait. Legislative challenges remain, and the cabinet has been reshuffled six times since late 2020.
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
29 30 N, 45 45 E
Middle East
Total: 17,818 sq km
Land: 17,818 sq km
Water: 0 sq km
Slightly smaller than New Jersey
Area comparison map:
Total: 475 km
Border countries (2): Iraq 254 km; Saudi Arabia 221 km
499 km
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Highest point: 3.6 km W. of Al-Salmi Border Post 300 m
Lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
Mean elevation: 108 m
Petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Agricultural land: 8.5% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 0.6% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 7.6% (2018 est.)
Forest: 0.4% (2018 est.)
Other: 91.1% (2018 est.)
100 sq km (2015)
Indian Ocean drainage: (Persian Gulf) Tigris and Euphrates (918,044 sq km)
Arabian Aquifer System
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
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
Strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
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
Noun: Kuwaiti(s)
Adjective: Kuwaiti
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.)
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:
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
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)
2023 population pyramid:
Total dependency ratio: 34.4
Youth dependency ratio: 28.4
Elderly dependency ratio: 6
Potential support ratio: 24.9 (2021 est.)
Total: 29.7 years
Male: 30.7 years
Female: 27.9 years (2020 est.)
1.13% (2023 est.)
17.65 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
2.27 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-4.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
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
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
3.298 million KUWAIT (capital) (2023)
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.)
7 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
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.)
Total population: 79.35 years
Male: 77.89 years
Female: 80.87 years (2023 est.)
2.22 children born/woman (2023 est.)
1.09 (2023 est.)
NA
Improved: urban: NA
Rural: NA
Total: 100% of population
Unimproved: urban: NA
Rural: NA
Total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
6.3% of GDP (2020)
2.34 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
2 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Improved: urban: NA
Rural: NA
Total: 100% of population
Unimproved: urban: NA
Rural: NA
Total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
37.9% (2016)
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.)
Total: 17.9% (2020 est.)
Male: 33.5% (2020 est.)
Female: 2.2% (2020 est.)
3% (2014)
59.6% (2023 est.)
6.6% of GDP (2020 est.)
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 96.5%
Male: 97.1%
Female: 95.4% (2020)
Total: 15 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 16 years (2015)
Total: 25.5%
Male: 17.1%
Female: 46.2% (2021 est.)
Limited natural freshwater resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification; loss of biodiversity
Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping-London Convention
Dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Agricultural land: 8.5% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 0.6% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 7.6% (2018 est.)
Forest: 0.4% (2018 est.)
Other: 91.1% (2018 est.)
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
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 57.17 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 98.73 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 6.21 megatons (2020 est.)
Municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.75 million tons (2010 est.)
Indian Ocean drainage: (Persian Gulf) Tigris and Euphrates (918,044 sq km)
Arabian Aquifer System
Municipal: 450 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 780 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
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," possibly a reference to a small castle built on the current location of Kuwait City by the Beni Khaled tribe in the 17th century
Constitutional monarchy (emirate)
Name: Kuwait City
Geographic coordinates: 29 22 N, 47 58 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name derives 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
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)
History: approved and promulgated 11 November 1962; suspended 1976 to 1981 (4 articles); 1986 to 1991; May to July 1999
Amendments: proposed by the amir or supported by at least one third of the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds consent of the Assembly membership and promulgation by the amir; constitutional articles on the initiation, approval, and promulgation of general legislation cannot be amended
Mixed legal system consisting of English common law, French civil law, and Islamic sharia law
Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
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
21 years of age and at least 20-year citizenship
Chief of state: Amir NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29 September 2020); Crown Prince MISHAL al-Ahmad al-Sabah, born in 1940, is the brother of Amir NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah
Head of government: Prime Minister Sheikh AHMAD AL-NAWAF Al-Ahmad al-Sabah (reappointed 5 March 2023); First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh TALAL al-Khalid Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (since 16 October 2022); Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Khalid al-FADIL (since 9 April 2022); Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil Bader Hamed Yusef Al-Mula (since 16 October 2022)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by the amir
Elections/appointments: amir chosen from within the ruling family, confirmed by the National Assembly; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the amir; crown prince appointed by the amir and approved by the National Assembly
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (65 seats; 50 members directly elected from 5 multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 15 ex-officio members (cabinet ministers) appointed by the amir; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: snap election held on 6 June 2023 (next to be held in 2027)
Election results:
50 non-partisan candidates, including 29 oppositionists; composition of elected members - 49 men, 1 woman, percent of women 2%
Note: on 17 April 2023, Crown Prince Mishal al-AHMAD al-Sabah dissolved the National Assembly, which had been reinstated in March at the direction of the Constitutional Court, following its annulment of the September 2022 election; the Assembly was formally dissolved by royal decree on 1 May 2023, and a new election was held on 6 June
Highest court(s): 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: 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; the government does not recognize any political parties or allow their formation, although no formal law bans political parties
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
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
Golden falcon; national colors: green, white, red, black
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
Small, high-income, oil-based Middle East economy; renewable energy proponent; regional finance and investment leader; maintains oldest sovereign wealth fund; emerging space and tourism industries; mid-way through 25-year development program
$191.522 billion (2020 est.)
$210.13 billion (2019 est.)
$211.296 billion (2018 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
-8.86% (2020 est.)
-0.55% (2019 est.)
2.43% (2018 est.)
$43,900 (2020 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
$47,300 (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
$48,900 (2018 est.)
$134.638 billion (2019 est.)
3.42% (2021 est.)
2.1% (2020 est.)
1.09% (2019 est.)
Fitch rating: AA (2008)
Moody's rating: A1 (2020)
Standard & Poors rating: AA- (2020)
Note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agriculture: 0.4% (2017 est.)
Industry: 58.7% (2017 est.)
Services: 40.9% (2017 est.)
Comparison rankings: agriculture 210; industry 2; services 207
Household consumption: 43.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 24.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 26.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 3.5% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 49.4% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -47% (2017 est.)
Eggs, dates, tomatoes, cucumbers, poultry, milk, mutton, potatoes, vegetables, eggplants
Petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water desalination, food processing, construction materials
-12.2% (2020 est.)
2.363 million (2021 est.)
Note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 60% of the labor force
Agriculture: NA
Industry: NA
Services: NA
3.71% (2021 est.)
3.54% (2020 est.)
2.17% (2019 est.)
Total: 25.5%
Male: 17.1%
Female: 46.2% (2021 est.)
NA
On food: 19.2% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 0.2% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
Lowest 10%: NA
Highest 10%: NA
Revenues: $77.988 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $72.03 billion (2019 est.)
-10% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
20.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
9.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
41.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
1 April - 31 March
$34.943 billion (2021 est.)
$22.03 billion (2020 est.)
$30.255 billion (2019 est.)
$77.121 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$47.416 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$72.833 billion (2019 est.)
China 20%, South Korea 16%, India 15%, Japan 10%, Taiwan 6%, Vietnam 5% (2019)
Crude petroleum, refined petroleum, natural gas, industrial hydrocarbon products, industrial alcohols (2021)
$48.954 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$44.015 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$59.654 billion (2019 est.)
China 14%, United Arab Emirates 12%, United States 10%, Saudi Arabia 6%, Japan 6%, Germany 5%, India 5% (2019)
Cars, broadcasting equipment, natural gas, packaged medicines, jewelry (2019)
$49.525 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$52.919 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$43.668 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$47.24 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$38.34 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US dollar -
0.302 (2021 est.)
0.306 (2020 est.)
0.304 (2019 est.)
0.302 (2018 est.)
0.303 (2017 est.)
Electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 19.371 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 63,802,360,000 kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 6.701 billion kWh (2019 est.)
Comparison rankings: installed generating capacity 49; consumption 44; exports 111; imports 130; transmission/distribution losses 41
Fossil fuels: 99.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Wind: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 68,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 68,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Total petroleum production: 2,720,500 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 342,000 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 1,837,900 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 101.5 billion barrels (2021 est.)
915,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)
705,500 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Production: 19,509,907,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Consumption: 24,322,970,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 4,805,531,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Proven reserves: 1,783,958,000,000 cubic meters (2021 est.)
92.582 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 578,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 44.288 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 47.715 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
381.985 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Total subscriptions: 580,000 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2020 est.)
Total subscriptions: 6,918,180 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 163 (2021 est.)
General assessment: Kuwait’s telecom infrastructure is well developed, with a focus on mobile infrastructure and services; the telecom sector is important to the country’s economy, and this will become more pronounced in coming years as the economy is purposefully transitioned away from a dependence on oil and gas to one which is increasingly knowledge-based and focused on ICT and related services; the MNOs have focused investment on 5G networks, which support and promote the growth of data traffic; this in turn has been a catalyst for revenue growth in recent quarters; while Kuwait’s mobile sector shows considerable progress; the country’s fixed broadband system is the lowest in the region; the government has stepped up efforts to build up fixed broadband networks, and ultimately this sector offers a potential future growth opportunity; improvements to the fixed broadband infrastructure will help develop sectors such as e-commerce, along with smart infrastructure developments, and tech start-ups (2022)
Domestic: fixed-line subscriptions are nearly 13 per 100 and mobile-cellular stands at nearly 163 per 100 subscriptions (2021)
International: 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)
State-owned TV broadcaster operates 4 networks and a satellite channel; several private TV broadcasters have emerged; satellite TV available and pan-Arab TV stations are 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 (2019)
.kw
Total: 4.3 million (2021 est.)
Percent of population: 100% (2021 est.)
Total: 73,948 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2020 est.)
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 44
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 6,464,847 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 392.36 million (2018) mt-km
9K
7 (2021)
4
Note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
3
Note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
4 (2021)
261 km gas, 540 km oil, 57 km refined products (2013)
Total: 5,749 km (2018)
Paved: 4,887 km (2018)
Unpaved: 862 km (2018)
Total: 166
By type: general cargo 15, oil tanker 29, other 122 (2022)
Major seaport(s): Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi
Kuwaiti Armed Forces (KAF): Kuwaiti Land Forces (KLF), Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya; includes Kuwaiti Air Defense Force, KADF), 25th Commando Brigade, and the Kuwait Emiri Guard Authority; Kuwaiti National Guard (KNG) (2023)
Note 1: the Emiri Guard Authority and the 25th Commando Brigade exercise independent command authority within the Kuwaiti Armed Forces, although activities such as training and equipment procurement are often coordinated with the other services; the 25th Commando Brigade is Kuwait's leading special forces unit; the Emiri Guard Authority (aka Emiri Guard Brigade) is responsible for protecting Kuwait's heads of state
Note 2: the Kuwaiti National Guard reports directly to the prime minister and the amir and possesses an independent command structure, equipment inventory, and logistics corps separate from the Ministry of Defense, the regular armed services, and the Ministry of Interior; it is responsible for protecting critical infrastructure and providing support for the Ministries of Interior and Defense as required
Note 3: the police, Kuwait State Security, and Coast Guard are under the Ministry of Interior
6.8% of GDP (2021 est.)
6.3% of GDP (2020 est.)
5.6% of GDP (2019)
5.1% of GDP (2018)
5.6% of GDP (2017)
Approximately 17,000 active duty armed forces personnel (12,500 Army, including the Amiri Guard and 25th Commando Brigade; 2,000 Navy; 2,500 Air Force); approximately 6,500 National Guard (2022)
The military's inventory consists of weapons from a wide variety of sources, including Western Europe, Russia, and the US; the US has been the leading supplier of arms to Kuwait (2023)
18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; Kuwait reintroduced 12-month mandatory service for men aged 18-35 in May 2017 after having suspended conscription in 2001; mandatory service is divided in two phases – 4 months for training and 8 months for military service; women were allowed to volunteer in 2021 (2023)
Note: the National Guard is restricted to citizens, but in 2018, the Army began allowing non-Kuwaitis to join on contract or as non-commissioned officers; that same year, it also began allowing stateless people (Bidoon) to join
The Kuwaiti Armed Forces (KAF) are responsible for external defense; the independent National Guard is responsible for protecting critical infrastructure and providing support for the Ministries of Interior and Defense as required; the National Guard and the Ministry of Interior are the Kuwaiti Government’s lead counterterrorism organizations; Kuwait’s primary security concerns are potential threats emanating from Iran, including regional militias loyal to Iran, and Islamic terrorist groups
The KAF is a professional military that participates in bilateral and multilateral exercises, as well as a limited number of multinational security operations such as maritime patrols in the Persian Gulf; it also provided a few fighter aircraft to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in 2015; the KAF is part of the military arm of the Gulf Cooperation Council; the Land Forces have approximately 6 small armored or mechanized brigades, plus the separate Emiri Guard and Commando brigades; the National Guard, which would support the Land Forces in a conflict, is comprised of a mix of security, light armored, and special forces battalions; the Air Force has less than 50 combat aircraft, while the Navy and Coast Guard operate a small force of missile-armed patrol craft and patrol boats
Kuwait's key security partner since the 1991 Gulf War has been the US; the US has approximately 13,000 military personnel as well as logistics and training facilities in Kuwait as part of a 1991 Defense Cooperation Agreement and a 2013 Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement; the KAF conducts bilateral exercises with the US military and would look to US assistance in the event of an external attack; Kuwait has Major Non-NATO Ally status with the US, a designation under US law that provides (2023)
Kuwait-Iraq: no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf
Kuwait-Saudi Arabia: their maritime boundary was established in 2000 and has a neutral zone but its extension to Iran’s maritime boundary has not been negotiated
Stateless persons: 92,000 (2022); 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
Tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — Kuwait does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; officials reported disaggregated data for the first time, including data on a forced labor conviction and identification of male victims; Kuwait also implemented a program to increase oversight of foreign worker recruitment and provide greater protections to vulnerable migrants; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts compared to the previous year to expand its anti-trafficking capacity; there were fewer investigations of alleged trafficking crimes and significantly fewer convictions and prosecutions of traffickers; the government decreased funding for victims and domestic worker protection programs for the second consecutive year; no steps were taken to reform the visa sponsorship program that continued to leave migrant workers highly vulnerable to exploitation; some officials routinely used arbitration and administrative penalties rather than investigate cases as human trafficking crimes; the government did not regularly use standard procedures to proactively identify victims and refer them to protection services, and it continued to detain, prosecute, and deport potential trafficking victims; therefore, Kuwait was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List (2022)
Trafficking profile: human traffickers exploit foreign victims in Kuwait; men and women migrate primarily from Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and other countries in South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East to work predominantly in the service, sanitation, construction, transportation, hospitality, and domestic service sectors; unskilled laborers and female domestic workers are especially vulnerable to forced labor and physical and sexual abuse; many labor-source countries, including Bhutan, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe continue to restrict female nationals from domestic employment in Kuwait due to the high risk they face; some visa sponsors subject migrants to forced labor and, to a much lesser extent, sex trafficking; Cuban nationals working in Kuwait may have been forced to work by the Cuban government; Kuwait’s sponsorship law restricts workers’ movements and penalizes them for leaving abusive workplaces; reports indicate some workers fleeing abusive employers are exploited in sex trafficking by recruiters or criminals (2022)