Rank #103 by World Population
🇰🇼Kuwait
Kuwait has a population of 4,853,420, ranking #103 in the world. The capital is Kuwait City. Located in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan.
World Bank: High income
4,853,420
Population
#103
World Rank
83.2
Life Expectancy
$34,076
GDP Per Capita
Kuwait, #103 by world population
Kuwait Population History (1960-2024)
The country of Kuwait had a population of 311,060 in 1960 and 4,897,263 in 2024, a 16× growth over 64 years. The peak was 4,897,263 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 4.58%.
4,897,263
Population (2024)
311,060
Population (1960)
4,897,263
Peak (2024)
4.58%
Avg Annual Growth
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 311,060 |
| 1961 | 345,945 |
| 1962 | 384,995 |
| 1963 | 427,694 |
| 1964 | 473,115 |
| 1965 | 521,174 |
| 1966 | 572,590 |
| 1967 | 628,089 |
| 1968 | 687,716 |
| 1969 | 749,452 |
| 1970 | 809,114 |
| 1971 | 865,076 |
| 1972 | 920,352 |
| 1973 | 977,654 |
| 1974 | 1,038,346 |
| 1975 | 1,104,863 |
| 1976 | 1,178,711 |
| 1977 | 1,258,023 |
| 1978 | 1,340,319 |
| 1979 | 1,423,514 |
| 1980 | 1,504,782 |
| 1981 | 1,583,426 |
| 1982 | 1,662,480 |
| 1983 | 1,744,295 |
| 1984 | 1,820,688 |
| 1985 | 1,894,242 |
| 1986 | 1,972,520 |
| 1987 | 2,052,994 |
| 1988 | 2,134,707 |
| 1989 | 2,217,468 |
| 1990 | 1,684,819 |
| 1991 | 1,351,399 |
| 1992 | 1,634,961 |
| 1993 | 1,672,151 |
| 1994 | 1,664,361 |
| 1995 | 1,681,513 |
| 1996 | 1,730,246 |
| 1997 | 1,787,683 |
| 1998 | 1,844,302 |
| 1999 | 1,900,030 |
| 2000 | 1,954,709 |
| 2001 | 2,008,121 |
| 2002 | 2,059,974 |
| 2003 | 2,109,881 |
| 2004 | 2,157,320 |
| 2005 | 2,236,788 |
| 2006 | 2,364,733 |
| 2007 | 2,507,887 |
| 2008 | 2,651,421 |
| 2009 | 2,795,484 |
| 2010 | 2,943,372 |
| 2011 | 3,132,814 |
| 2012 | 3,337,109 |
| 2013 | 3,507,844 |
| 2014 | 3,665,876 |
| 2015 | 3,834,574 |
| 2016 | 4,004,096 |
| 2017 | 4,154,812 |
| 2018 | 4,323,515 |
| 2019 | 4,442,316 |
| 2020 | 4,400,267 |
| 2021 | 4,360,865 |
| 2022 | 4,589,643 |
| 2023 | 4,853,420 |
| 2024 | 4,897,263 |
Demographics
| Population | 4,853,420 |
| Population Growth Rate | 5.59% |
| Urban Population | 100.0% |
| Fertility Rate | 1.52 births/woman |
| Life Expectancy | 83.2 years |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 7.2 per 1,000 |
| Literacy Rate | 96.5% |
Economy & Trade
$34,076
GDP Per Capita
2.1%
Unemployment Rate
High income
Income Level
96.1%
Trade (% of GDP)
2,161,000
Tourism Arrivals
Health & Education
5.0%
Health Expenditure (% GDP)
5.0%
Education Expenditure (% GDP)
96.5%
Literacy Rate
7.2
Infant Mortality (per 1,000)
Development & Connectivity
100.0%
Electricity Access
99.7%
Internet Users
159
Mobile Subs per 100
272.4
People per km2
50,008
Net Migration
Environment
0.4%
Forest Area
Other Countries in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Compare Kuwait
Kuwait in global context
Kuwait is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.
World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →Other related entities
Country rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Kuwait has a population of 4,853,420, ranking #103 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 5.59%.
Life expectancy in Kuwait is 83.2 years. The infant mortality rate is 7.2 per 1,000 live births.
Kuwait's GDP per capita is $34,076. It is classified as a high income country by the World Bank.
100.0% of Kuwait's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 272.4 people per square kilometer.
The adult literacy rate in Kuwait is 96.5%. The country spends 5.0% of GDP on education.
International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.
The this entity record above pulls directly from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. population demographics distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.