Population, total in Kuwait
Kuwait: Population, total was 4.87 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
4.87 million
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
127th
of 218 countries
All-time high
4.90 million
in 2024
All-time low
311,060
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Population, total in Kuwait, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
The most recent figure for population, total in Kuwait is 4.87 million, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 26.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population, total in Kuwait peaked at 4.90 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 311,060, in 1960.
Kuwait ranks 127th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population, total in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 311,060 | — |
| 1961 | 345,945 | +11.2% |
| 1962 | 384,995 | +11.3% |
| 1963 | 427,694 | +11.1% |
| 1964 | 473,115 | +10.6% |
| 1965 | 521,174 | +10.2% |
| 1966 | 572,590 | +9.9% |
| 1967 | 628,089 | +9.7% |
| 1968 | 687,716 | +9.5% |
| 1969 | 749,452 | +9.0% |
| 1970 | 809,114 | +8.0% |
| 1971 | 865,076 | +6.9% |
| 1972 | 920,352 | +6.4% |
| 1973 | 977,654 | +6.2% |
| 1974 | 1.04 million | +6.2% |
| 1975 | 1.10 million | +6.4% |
| 1976 | 1.18 million | +6.7% |
| 1977 | 1.26 million | +6.7% |
| 1978 | 1.34 million | +6.5% |
| 1979 | 1.42 million | +6.2% |
| 1980 | 1.50 million | +5.7% |
| 1981 | 1.58 million | +5.2% |
| 1982 | 1.66 million | +5.0% |
| 1983 | 1.74 million | +4.9% |
| 1984 | 1.82 million | +4.4% |
| 1985 | 1.89 million | +4.0% |
| 1986 | 1.97 million | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 2.05 million | +4.1% |
| 1988 | 2.13 million | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 2.22 million | +3.9% |
| 1990 | 1.68 million | -24.0% |
| 1991 | 1.35 million | -19.8% |
| 1992 | 1.63 million | +21.0% |
| 1993 | 1.67 million | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 1.66 million | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 1.68 million | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 1.73 million | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 1.79 million | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 1.84 million | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 1.90 million | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 1.95 million | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 2.01 million | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 2.06 million | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 2.11 million | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 2.16 million | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 2.24 million | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 2.36 million | +5.7% |
| 2007 | 2.51 million | +6.1% |
| 2008 | 2.65 million | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 2.80 million | +5.4% |
| 2010 | 2.94 million | +5.3% |
| 2011 | 3.13 million | +6.4% |
| 2012 | 3.34 million | +6.5% |
| 2013 | 3.51 million | +5.1% |
| 2014 | 3.67 million | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 3.83 million | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 4.00 million | +4.4% |
| 2017 | 4.15 million | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 4.32 million | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 4.44 million | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 4.40 million | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 4.36 million | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 4.59 million | +5.2% |
| 2023 | 4.85 million | +5.7% |
| 2024 | 4.90 million | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 4.87 million | -0.7% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 4.87 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.97 million, 1.6× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 4.87 million is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 11.52 million, 42% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 510,183 | 311,060 | 749,452 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.09 million | 809,114 | 1.42 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.86 million | 1.50 million | 2.22 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.70 million | 1.35 million | 1.90 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.28 million | 1.95 million | 2.80 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.73 million | 2.94 million | 4.44 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.66 million | 4.36 million | 4.90 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 124 New Zealand 5.32 million compare
- 125 Mauritania 5.32 million compare
- 126 Costa Rica 5.15 million compare
- 128 Panama 4.57 million compare
- 129 Georgia 3.94 million compare
- 130 Croatia 3.88 million compare
More climate change data for Kuwait
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 639,640 kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 721.23 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 515.61 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 205.62 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1.95 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 7.34 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 5 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 4.93 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 0.07 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0186 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population, total in Kuwait?
- Population, total in Kuwait was 4.87 million in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population, total recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 4.90 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest population, total recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 311,060 in 1960.
- How does Kuwait rank for population, total?
- Kuwait ranks 127th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population, total rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.