01
Physical geography
Flat to slightly undulating desert plain.
Local timeKuwait City ·
Asia / Western Asia · Card 021
Kuwait
Kuwait is a country in Western Asia. Its capital is Kuwait City.
Find Kuwait
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Kuwait City
- Languages
- Arabic
- Currency
- Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)
- Population
- 4.9 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 17,818 km²6,880 square miles
- Independence
- 1961from the UK
Kuwait in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Kuwait City; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Arabic.
03
Location
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red, with a black trapezoid based on the left side
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · parliamentary status
History & independence
Kuwait developed as a trading port under the Al Sabah family. It ended its treaty relationship with Britain and became independent in 1961. Iraq invaded in 1990; an international coalition expelled Iraqi forces in 1991.
-
Independence
-
Iraqi invasion
-
Liberation by an international coalition
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · parliamentary status
Economy
Main activities
Oil production and refining dominate exports and public revenue. Finance, commerce, transport and state investment also play important roles.
Industry and production
petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water desalination, food processing, construction materials
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · parliamentary status
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people4.92025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 809,114 | 0.809 |
| 1980 | 1,504,782 | 1.505 |
| 1990 | 1,684,819 | 1.685 |
| 2000 | 1,954,709 | 1.955 |
| 2010 | 2,943,372 | 2.943 |
| 2020 | 4,400,267 | 4.400 |
| 2025 | 4,865,298 | 4.865 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars121.52025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 33,933,574,665 | 33.934 |
| 1991 | 20,018,165,400 | 20.018 |
| 1992 | 36,595,073,851 | 36.595 |
| 1993 | 49,033,910,556 | 49.034 |
| 1994 | 53,170,492,472 | 53.170 |
| 1995 | 55,753,669,857 | 55.754 |
| 1996 | 56,091,050,455 | 56.091 |
| 1997 | 57,478,364,573 | 57.478 |
| 1998 | 59,583,253,741 | 59.583 |
| 1999 | 58,517,303,895 | 58.517 |
| 2000 | 61,264,446,635 | 61.264 |
| 2001 | 61,395,143,657 | 61.395 |
| 2002 | 63,245,767,128 | 63.246 |
| 2003 | 74,203,741,654 | 74.204 |
| 2004 | 81,802,425,970 | 81.802 |
| 2005 | 90,480,882,140 | 90.481 |
| 2006 | 97,280,315,041 | 97.280 |
| 2007 | 103,108,938,574 | 103.109 |
| 2008 | 105,665,789,637 | 105.666 |
| 2009 | 98,188,818,734 | 98.189 |
| 2010 | 95,861,205,612 | 95.861 |
| 2011 | 105,091,330,435 | 105.091 |
| 2012 | 112,054,550,469 | 112.055 |
| 2013 | 113,342,578,899 | 113.343 |
| 2014 | 113,910,328,503 | 113.910 |
| 2015 | 114,585,555,689 | 114.586 |
| 2016 | 117,938,415,953 | 117.938 |
| 2017 | 112,380,895,138 | 112.381 |
| 2018 | 115,463,874,455 | 115.464 |
| 2019 | 118,077,765,350 | 118.078 |
| 2020 | 112,389,586,345 | 112.390 |
| 2021 | 114,268,886,946 | 114.269 |
| 2022 | 121,991,940,636 | 121.992 |
| 2023 | 119,990,201,721 | 119.990 |
| 2024 | 118,221,524,331 | 118.222 |
| 2025 | 121,451,130,439 | 121.451 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.852Very High human developmentRank 52 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.698
20000.778
20100.812
20200.837
20230.852
80.4 yearsLife expectancy at birth
7.6 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Hereditary emirate. The emir dissolved the National Assembly and suspended parts of the constitution in May 2024. The IPU records no functioning parliament; governing arrangements therefore differ from the earlier parliamentary framework.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · parliamentary status
Knowledge check
Three questions about Kuwait.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which city is identified as the capital of Kuwait?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · parliamentary status
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.