Population and Demographics

As of July 2007, Kuwait had a total population 2,505,559 people which included approximately 1.2 million non-nationals. The government only rarely grants citizenship to non-citizens (who are generally referred to as expatriates). Arab expatriates include a large group of stateless Arabs, locally known as Bidoon (an Arabic word meaning 'without' and distinct from 'Bedouin'), along with Egyptians, Lebanese and other Arabs. Other large groups of expatriates include Assyrians, Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis and Filipinos. In 2003, more than 400,000 Indian nationals lived in Kuwait, making them the largest expatriate community there. Kuwait formerly had a large Palestinian population, though most of them were forced out of the country after PLO leader Yassir Arafat's support for Iraq during the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait.

About 85% of Kuwait's population are Muslims 70% Sunni and 30% Shia). The remaining population is primarily comprised of Christians and Hindus.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 2,505,559
  Note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 26.7% (male 340,814/female 328,663)
  • 15-64 years: 70.5% (male 1,128,231/female 636,967)
  • 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 44,542/female 26,342)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 26 years
  • Male: 27.9 years
  • Female: 22.4 years
• Population Growth Rate: 3.561%
  Note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates
• Birth Rate: 21.95 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 2.39 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: 16.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.037 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 1.771 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 1.691 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 1.526 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 9.47 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 10.48 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 8.42 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 77.36 years
  • Male: 76.25 years
  • Female: 78.52 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 2.86 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: 0.12%
• Ethnic Groups:
  • Kuwaiti 45%
  • Other Arab 35%
  • South Asian 9%
  • Iranian 4%
  • Other 7%
• Religions:
  • Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%)
  • Other (includes Christian, Hindu, Parsi) 15%
• Languages:
  • Arabic (official)
  • English widely spoken
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 93.3%
  • Male: 94.4%
  • Female: 91%