Refugees
997refugees and others in need of protection hosted, 2025
5,517from it, abroad, 2025
Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder2025
Country page · Updated 13 Nov 2026
Kuwait
Kuwait has 4.9 m people (World Bank, 2025) and an economy of $157 bn a year (World Bank, 2025). It imports all of its potash supply (FAOSTAT, 2024, estimated).
Written automatically from the figures on this page.
- Population
- 4.9 m (2025)
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m, which shows who controls an area in practice. Borders shown do not imply endorsement.
- GDPUS$157billion58th of 186World Bank · 2025
- Population4.9million127th of 216World Bank · 2025
- GDP per personUS$32,31238th of 186World Bank · 2025
- Military, % GDP4.7% of GDP9th of 150World Bank · 2025
- CO2 per person26.2t2nd of 213Global Carbon Budget · 2024
Dependencies at a glance
Kuwait imports all of its potash supply; it exports oil.
Imports mostImports someLow net tradeExporter
| Resource | Dependence | Position | Main partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil | Exporter | Exports 84% of what it producesEIA, use 2024 · UN Comtrade, exports 2025 | China, South Korea, India (buyers) |
| Natural gas | Imports some | Imports 30% of the gas it uses PreliminaryEIA, use 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025, Trinidad and Tobago → Kuwait, Angola → Kuwait and Mozambique → Kuwait as reported by the exporter | Trinidad and Tobago, Angola, Mozambique |
| Wheat | Imports most | Imports all of the wheat it uses EstimateFAOSTAT, 2023 | Australia, Canada |
| Maize | Imports most | Imports 87% of the maize it usesFAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023 | Argentina, Brazil |
| Rice | Not reported by this source | – | |
| Soybeans | Not reported by this source | – | |
| Potash | Imports most | Imports all of its potash supply EstimateFAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025 | Jordan, Turkmenistan, Iran |
| Phosphate | Imports most | Imports all of its phosphate supply EstimateFAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025 | Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China |
| Arms | Supplier concentration only | Main supplier: United States, 62% of importsSIPRI, 2021–2025 | United States, Italy, France |
| Chips | Supplier concentration only | Main supplier: Taiwan, 22% of importsUN Comtrade, 2025 | Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia |
Dependence is net imports: imports minus exports, as a share of what the country uses; for potash and phosphate, of its supply (production plus net imports). Arms and chips show supplier concentration only: the main supplier’s share of imports (arms: five-year totals of deliveries in SIPRI’s trend-indicator value, SIPRI’s measure of military capability delivered, not price or number of weapons).
- OilExporter
Exports 84% of what it produces
Main partners: China, South Korea, India (buyers)
EIA, use 2024 · UN Comtrade, exports 2025
- Natural gasImports some
Imports 30% of the gas it uses Preliminary
Main partners: Trinidad and Tobago, Angola, Mozambique
EIA, use 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025, Trinidad and Tobago → Kuwait, Angola → Kuwait and Mozambique → Kuwait as reported by the exporter
- WheatImports most
Imports all of the wheat it uses Estimate
Main partners: Australia, Canada
FAOSTAT, 2023
- MaizeImports most
Imports 87% of the maize it uses
Main partners: Argentina, Brazil
FAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023
- Rice
Not reported by this source
- Soybeans
Not reported by this source
- PotashImports most
Imports all of its potash supply Estimate
Main partners: Jordan, Turkmenistan, Iran
FAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025
- PhosphateImports most
Imports all of its phosphate supply Estimate
Main partners: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China
FAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025
- ArmsSupplier concentration only
Main supplier: United States, 62% of imports
Main partners: United States, Italy, France
SIPRI, 2021–2025
- ChipsSupplier concentration only
Main supplier: Taiwan, 22% of imports
Main partners: Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia
UN Comtrade, 2025
Source: EIA; FAOSTAT; SIPRI; UN Comtradeyear in each rowUpdated 13 Nov 2026
Dependencies toolMoney and reserves
Kuwait’s economy produced $157 bn in 2025.
GDP, 2000–2025
Source: World Bank Indicators2000–2025Updated 13 Nov 2026
Economic growth2.7%2025 · 115th of 186 · World Bank
Inflation2.4%2025 · 100th of 169 · World Bank
Unemployment2.2%2025 · 162nd of 181 · World Bank
ReservesUS$50.7billion2024 · 41st of 164 · World Bank
Trade94% of GDP2024 · 69th of 172 · World Bank
Foreign investment inUS$413million2025 · 124th of 200 · World Bank
People
Kuwait had 4.9 m people in 2025.
Population, 1950–2100
Projection: UN projection, medium variant, after 2023Range between the UN low- and high-fertility scenarios
Source: UN World Population ProspectsUpdated 13 Nov 2026Projection
Kuwait’s population by age
1950200020502100
Source: UN World Population Prospects1950–2100Updated 13 Nov 2026Projection
Births per woman1.522023 · 165th of 237 · UN WPP 2024
Median age34.52023 · 102nd of 237 · UN WPP 2024
Aged 65 and over3.2%2025, Projection, medium variant · UN WPP 2024
Technology and space
Satellites owned in Kuwait numbered 2 at the end of 2026.
Climate and hazards
Kuwait emitted 130 Mt of CO2 from fossil fuels and cement in 2024.
Kuwait’s CO2 emissions, million tonnes, 1990–2024
Source: Our World in Data CO21990–2024Updated 13 Nov 2026
CO2 emissions130Mt2024 · 37th of 214 · Global Carbon Budget
CO2 per person26.2t2024 · 2nd of 213 · Global Carbon Budget
CO2 since 17503,876Mt2024 · 51st of 214 · Global Carbon Budget
Water stress5.02023 · 1st of 164 · WRI Aqueduct, accessed on 25 Oct 2026, aqueduct.wri.org (CC BY 4.0)
More figures
Shown only where a source covers Kuwait.
Sanctions
32entries on the US, EU and UK lists give it as an address or nationality: US 18, EU 8 and UK 6
Counts entries (people, companies, ships and aircraft), not how strict the measures are.
Source: US CSL; EU sanctions list; UK Sanctions ListUpdated 13 Nov 2026
Cyber incidents
14publicly known incidents affecting Kuwait, 2000–2024
Counts compare documented incidents, not how often a country is targeted. Who they were attributed to
Source: EuRepoC Global Dataset of Cyber Incidents 1.3.2 (4 Mar 2025), CC BY-NC 4.02000–2024
All figures
50 measures on this site have a recent figure for Kuwait.
| GDP | $157 bn | 2025 | 58th of 186 | World Bank |
| GDP per person | $32,312 | 2025 | 38th of 186 | World Bank |
| Economic growth | 2.7% | 2025 | 115th of 186 | World Bank |
| Inflation | 2.4% | 2025 | 100th of 169 | World Bank |
| Government debt | Estimate | 2025 | 179th of 191 | IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026 |
| Government budget balance | Estimate | 2025 | 2nd of 195 | IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026 |
| Current account balance | 22.7% | 2025 | 3rd of 194 | IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026 |
| Unemployment | 2.2% | 2025 | 162nd of 181 | World Bank |
| Reserves, including gold | $51 bn | 2024 | 41st of 164 | World Bank |
| Trade | 94% | 2024 | 69th of 172 | World Bank |
| Foreign investment in | $413 m | 2025 | 124th of 200 | World Bank |
| Remittances received | 0.0% | 2024 | 161st of 162 | World Bank |
| Population | 4.9 m | 2025 | 127th of 216 | World Bank |
| Population with UN projections | 4.8 m | 2023 | 128th of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Births per woman | 1.52 | 2023 | 165th of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Median age | 34.5 | 2023 | 102nd of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Life expectancy | 80.4 | 2023 | 53rd of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Refugees from the country | 5,517 | 2025 | 94th of 206 | UNHCR |
| Refugees and others needing protection, by host | 997 | 2025 | 137th of 176 | UNHCR |
| Refugees hosted per 1,000 people | 0.2 | 2025 | 140th of 176 | UNHCR |
| Crude oil production | 2,584 kb/d | 2025 | 10th of 214 | EIA |
| Oil consumption | 438 kb/d | 2024 | 37th of 212 | EIA |
| Natural gas production | Preliminary | 2024 | 32nd of 213 | EIA |
| Natural gas consumption | 28.3 bcm | 2024 | 32nd of 213 | EIA |
| Electricity generated | 92 TWh | 2024 | 38th of 193 | Ember |
| Low-carbon electricity | 2.2% | 2024 | 177th of 193 | Ember |
| Electricity from coal | 0% | 2024 | 82nd of 193 | Ember |
| Electricity from wind and solar | 2.2% | 2024 | 132nd of 193 | Ember |
| Wheat production | 0.0 Mt | 2024 | 120th of 123 | FAOSTAT |
| Wheat imports | 0.5 Mt | 2024 | 64th of 180 | FAOSTAT |
| Maize production | 0.0 Mt | 2024 | 118th of 169 | FAOSTAT |
| Maize imports | 0.2 Mt | 2024 | 69th of 196 | FAOSTAT |
| Rice imports | 0.2 Mt | 2024 | 57th of 197 | FAOSTAT |
| Soybean imports | 0.0 Mt | 2024 | 117th of 179 | FAOSTAT |
| Potash fertiliser use | 0.01 Mt | 2024 | 87th of 199 | FAOSTAT |
| Phosphate fertiliser use | 0.00 Mt | 2024 | 131st of 199 | FAOSTAT |
| CO2 emissions | 130 Mt | 2024 | 37th of 214 | Global Carbon Budget |
| CO2 per person | 26.2 t | 2024 | 2nd of 213 | Global Carbon Budget |
| CO2 emitted since 1750 | 3,876 Mt | 2024 | 51st of 214 | Global Carbon Budget |
| Net CO2 imports through trade | −0.7% | 2023 | 95th of 120 | Global Carbon Budget |
| Water stress | 5.0 | 2023 | 1st of 164 | WRI Aqueduct, accessed on 25 Oct 2026, aqueduct.wri.org (CC BY 4.0) |
| Water from abroad | 100% | 2023 | 1st of 193 | FAO AQUASTAT |
| Military spending, share of GDP | 4.7% | 2025 | 9th of 150 | World Bank |
| Military spending | $8.1 bn | 2025 | 34th of 150 | World Bank |
| Arms imports | 311 TIV m | 2025 | 32nd of 108 | SIPRI |
| Satellites in orbit | 2 | 2026 | 58th of 81 | Orbital data from CelesTrak |
| People using the internet | 99.7% | 2024 | 5th of 182 | World Bank |
| ICT service exports | $5.5 bn | 2024 | 32nd of 162 | World Bank |
| ICT service exports, share of service exports | 45% | 2024 | 5th of 162 | World Bank |
| Sanctions list entries (US, EU, UK) | 32 | 2026 | 76th of 181 | US CSL |
Sources for this page
- World Bank IndicatorsGDP, GDP per person, Economic growth, Inflation, Unemployment, Reserves, …
- IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026Debt, Budget balance, Current account
- UN World Population ProspectsPopulation (UN), Births per woman, Median age, Life expectancy
- UNHCR Refugee Data FinderRefugees from, Refugees hosted, Refugees per 1,000
- U.S. Energy Information AdministrationOil output, Oil use, Gas output, Gas use, Dependencies at a glance
- Ember electricity dataElectricity, Low-carbon electricity, Electricity from coal, Electricity from wind and solar
- FAOSTATWheat production, Wheat imports, Maize production, Maize imports, Rice imports, Soybean imports, …
- Our World in Data CO2CO2 emissions, CO2 per person, CO2 since 1750, Net CO2 imports through trade
- WRI Aqueduct, accessed on 25 Oct 2026, aqueduct.wri.org (CC BY 4.0)Water stress
- FAO AQUASTATWater from abroad
- SIPRI Arms Transfers DatabaseArms imports, Dependencies at a glance
- CelesTrak SATCATSatellites in orbit
- US Consolidated Screening ListSanctions list entries, Sanctions
- UN ComtradeDependencies at a glance
- EU financial sanctions listSanctions
- UK Sanctions ListSanctions
- EuRepoC cyber incidentsCyber incidents
Page last updated 13 Nov 2026How we measure