Urban population in Kuwait
Kuwait: Urban population was 4.87 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population in Kuwait, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
Kuwait recorded 4.87 million for urban population in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 26.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Kuwait peaked at 4.90 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 234,543, in 1960.
Kuwait ranks 99th 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.
Urban population in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 234,543 | — |
| 1961 | 264,198 | +12.6% |
| 1962 | 297,381 | +12.6% |
| 1963 | 333,593 | +12.2% |
| 1964 | 371,935 | +11.5% |
| 1965 | 412,075 | +10.8% |
| 1966 | 454,450 | +10.3% |
| 1967 | 499,810 | +10.0% |
| 1968 | 548,626 | +9.8% |
| 1969 | 599,879 | +9.3% |
| 1970 | 651,288 | +8.6% |
| 1971 | 706,391 | +8.5% |
| 1972 | 768,829 | +8.8% |
| 1973 | 837,981 | +9.0% |
| 1974 | 911,518 | +8.8% |
| 1975 | 987,533 | +8.3% |
| 1976 | 1.07 million | +8.2% |
| 1977 | 1.16 million | +8.1% |
| 1978 | 1.25 million | +7.8% |
| 1979 | 1.34 million | +7.3% |
| 1980 | 1.43 million | +6.7% |
| 1981 | 1.51 million | +6.2% |
| 1982 | 1.60 million | +5.9% |
| 1983 | 1.70 million | +5.7% |
| 1984 | 1.78 million | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 1.85 million | +4.2% |
| 1986 | 1.93 million | +4.2% |
| 1987 | 2.01 million | +4.1% |
| 1988 | 2.09 million | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 2.17 million | +3.9% |
| 1990 | 1.65 million | -24.0% |
| 1991 | 1.32 million | -19.8% |
| 1992 | 1.60 million | +21.0% |
| 1993 | 1.64 million | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 1.63 million | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 1.65 million | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 1.70 million | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 1.76 million | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 1.82 million | +3.4% |
| 1999 | 1.88 million | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 1.94 million | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 1.99 million | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 2.05 million | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 2.10 million | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 2.16 million | +2.4% |
| 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 2.24 million, 2.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 4.87 million is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 9.90 million, 49% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 401,649 | 234,543 | 599,879 | 10 |
| 1970s | 966,951 | 651,288 | 1.34 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.81 million | 1.43 million | 2.17 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.66 million | 1.32 million | 1.88 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.28 million | 1.94 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
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 urban population in Kuwait?
- Urban population in Kuwait was 4.87 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 4.90 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 234,543 in 1960.
- How does Kuwait rank for urban population?
- Kuwait ranks 99th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population 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 Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population. 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
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.