Kuwait
State of KuwaitDawlat al Kuwayt
constitutional emirateIndependence 19 June 1961 (from the UK)
Kuwait as the 2014 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 162 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. The AL-SABAH family has ruled since returning to power in 1991 and reestablished an elected legislature that in recent years has become increasingly assertive.
The country witnessed the historic election in 2009 of four women to its National Assembly. Amid the 2010-11 uprisings and protests across the Arab world, stateless Arabs, known as bidun, staged small protests in February and March 2011 demanding citizenship, jobs, and other benefits available to Kuwaiti nationals. Youth activist groups - supported by opposition legislators - rallied repeatedly in 2011 for the prime minister's dismissal amid allegations of widespread government corruption.
Demonstrators forced the prime minister to resign in late 2011. In late 2012, Kuwait witnessed unprecedented protests in response to the Amir's changes to the electoral law by decree reducing the number of votes per person from four to one. The opposition, led by a coalition of Sunni Islamists, tribalists, some liberals, and myriad youth groups, largely boycotted legislative elections in 2012 and 2013 ushering in legislatures more amenable to the government's agenda.
Since 2006, the Amir has dissolved the National Assembly on five occasions (the Constitutional Court annulled the Assembly in June 2012 and again in June 2013) and shuffled the cabinet over a dozen times, usually citing political stagnation and gridlock between the legislature and the government.
Geography
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
20 fieldsLand useshare of 17,818 sq km
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.91 cu km/yr (47%/2%/51%)
- per capita:
- 441.2 cu m/yr (2005)
Natural hazards
- sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses;
- sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year but are most common between March and August
Environment - current issues
- limited natural freshwater resources;
- some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water;
- air and water pollution;
- desertification
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
- signed, but not ratified:
- Marine Dumping
People and Society
33 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2014 est.)
Note
Per 1,000 population(2014 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2013 est.)
Religions(2013 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.08 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1.22 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1.74 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 1.42 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.96 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.43 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
Government
Constitutional emirate; Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29 January 2006); Prime Minister JABIR AL-MUBARAK al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 30 November 2011)
21 fieldsCountry name
- conventional long form:
- State of Kuwait
- conventional short form:
- Kuwait
- local long form:
- Dawlat al Kuwayt
- local short form:
- Al Kuwayt
Capital
- name:
- Kuwait City
- geographic coordinates:
- 29 22 N, 47 58 E
- time difference:
- UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC,during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al 'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak al Kabir
Legal system
mixed legal system consisting of English common law, French civil law, and Islamic religious law
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Suffrage
- 21 years of age;
- universal;
- note - members of the military or police by law cannot vote;
- all voters must have been citizens for 20 years
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29 January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (born 25 June 1937)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister JABIR AL-MUBARAK al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 30 November 2011);
- First Deputy Prime Minister SABAH Khaled al-Hamad al-Sabah;
- Deputy Prime Ministers KHALD al-Jarrah al-Sabah, MUHAMMAD AL-KHALID al-Hamad al-Sabah, Abdulmohsen MUDEJ
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the amir; new cabinet formed in January 2014; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- none;
- the amir is chosen from within the ruling family and confirmed by parliamentary vote;
- the amir appoints the prime minister and deputy prime ministers
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (65 seats; 50 members elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms and 16 cabinet ministers serve as ex officio members on most issues, two of whom are also elected MPs, appointed by the prime minister)
- elections:
- last held 27 July 2013 (next to be held in July 2017)
- election results:
- voter turnout 52%; seats won - pro-government 30, liberals 9, Shiites 8, Sunni 3
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Constitutional Court (five judges); Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (organized into several circuits, each with five judges)
- judge selection and term of office:
- all Kuwaiti judges appointed by the Amir upon recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council, a consultative body comprised of Kuwaiti judges and Ministry of Justice officials
- subordinate courts:
- High Court of Appeal;
- Court of First Instance;
- Summary Court
Political parties and leaders
none; while the formation of political parties is not permitted, they are not forbidden by law
Political pressure groups and leaders
- other:
- Islamists;
- merchants;
- political groups;
- secular liberals and pro-governmental deputies;
- Shia activists;
- tribal groups
International organization participation
ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CD, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, Paris Club (associate), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador SALIM al-Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 10 October 2001)
- chancery:
- 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 966-0702
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 364-2868
- consulate(s) general:
- Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Matthew H. TUELLER (since 9 September 2011)
- embassy:
- Bayan 36302, Block 13, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880-9000
- telephone:
- [965] 2259-1001
- FAX:
- [965] 2538-0282
Flag description
- three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side;
- colors and design are based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I;
- green represents fertile fields, white stands for purity, red denotes blood on Kuwaiti swords, black signifies the defeat of the enemy
Economy
Kuwait has a geographically small, but wealthy, relatively open economy with crude oil reserves of about 102 billion barrels - more than 6% of world reserves.
40 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2013 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
Economy - overview
Kuwait has a geographically small, but wealthy, relatively open economy with crude oil reserves of about 102 billion barrels - more than 6% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and 95% of government income. Kuwaiti officials have committed to increasing oil production to 4 million barrels per day by 2020.
Budget surpluses have stayed around 30% of GDP, which has led to higher budget expenditures, particularly wage hikes for many public sector employees, as well as increased allotments to Kuwait’s Future Generations Fund. Kuwait has done little to diversify its economy, in part, because of this positive fiscal situation, and, in part, due to the poor business climate and the historically acrimonious relationship between the National Assembly and the executive branch, which has stymied most movement on economic reforms.
In 2010, Kuwait passed an economic development plan that pledges to spend up to $130 billion over five years to diversify the economy away from oil, attract more investment, and boost private sector participation in the economy, though much of these funds have yet to be allocated.
Gross national saving
54.8% of GDP (2013 est.) · 58.9% of GDP (2012 est.) · 58.2% of GDP (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 2
Industries
petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water desalination, food processing, construction materials
Labor force
2.38 million country comparison to the world: 114 note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 60% of the labor force (2013 est.)
Central bank discount rate
1.25% (31 December 2010 est.) · 3% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
Commercial bank prime lending rate
4.9% (31 December 2013 est.) · 5% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Stock of narrow money
$31.68 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $27.55 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Stock of broad money
$110.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $105.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Stock of domestic credit
$90.63 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $89.13 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Current account balance
$69.13 billion (2013 est.) · $80.33 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$34.35 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $29 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Debt - external
$34.41 billion (2013 est.) · $35.29 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$5.677 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $5.212 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$60.76 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $52.59 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Exchange rates
Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US dollar - 0.2838 (2013 est.) · 0.2799 (2012 est.) · 0.2866 (2010 est.) · 0.2877 (2009) · 0.2679 (2008)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 13.5 million kW(2011 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
1.798 trillion cu m (1 January 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- the quality of service is excellent
- domestic:
- new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new subscribers;
- trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable;
- a mobile-cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well supplied with pay telephones
- international:
- country code - 965;
- linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
- linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable;
- coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia;
- satellite earth stations - 6 (3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 1 Inmarsat - Atlantic Ocean, and 2 Arabsat) (2011)
Broadcast media
- state-owned TV broadcaster operates 4 networks and a satellite channel;
- several private TV broadcasters have emerged since 2003;
- satellite TV available with pan-Arab TV stations especially popular;
- state-owned Radio Kuwait broadcasts on a number of channels in Arabic and English;
- first private radio station emerged in 2005;
- transmissions of at least 2 international radio broadcasters are available (2007)
Transportation
8 fieldsMerchant marine, 34 ships by typeone square, one ship
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi
Military
Kuwaiti Land Forces (KLF), Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya; includes Kuwaiti Air Defense Force, KADF), Kuwaiti National Guard (KNG) (2013)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Kuwaiti Land Forces (KLF), Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya; includes Kuwaiti Air Defense Force, KADF), Kuwaiti National Guard (KNG) (2013)
Military service age and obligation
17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription suspended (2012)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 1,002,480
- females age 16-49:
- 616,958 (2010 est.)
Transnational Issues
3 fieldsDisputes - international
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf
Refugees and internally displaced persons
- stateless persons:
- 93,000 (2012);
- note - Kuwait's 1959 Nationality Law defined citizens as persons who settled in the country before 1920 and who had maintained normal residence since then;
- one-third of the population, descendants of Bedouin tribes, missed the window of opportunity to register for nationality rights after Kuwait became independent in 1961 and were classified as bidun (meaning without);
- since the 1980s Kuwait's bidun have progressively lost their rights, including opportunities for employment and education, amid official claims that they are nationals of other countries who have destroyed their identification documents in hopes of gaining Kuwaiti citizenship;
- Kuwaiti authorities have delayed processing citizenship applications and labeled biduns as "illegal residents," denying them access to civil documentation, such as birth and marriage certificates;
- 2011 bidun demonstrations for the recognition of their Kuwaiti nationality led to several arrests
Trafficking in persons
- current situation:
- Kuwait is a destination country for men and women subjected to forced labor and, to a lesser degree, forced prostitution;
- men and women migrate from India, Egypt, Bangladesh, Syria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, Iran, Jordan, Ethiopia, and Iraq to work in Kuwait, most of them in the domestic service, construction, and sanitation sectors;
- although most of these migrants enter Kuwait voluntarily, upon arrival some are subjected to conditions of forced labor by their sponsors and labor agents, including nonpayment of wages, long working hours without rest, deprivation of food, threats, physical or sexual abuse, and restrictions on movement, such as the withholding of passports or confinement to the workplace
- tier rating:
- Tier 3 - Kuwait does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making sufficient efforts to do so;
- the government enacted comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation in 2013 but did not report any arrests, prosecutions, convictions, or sentences of traffickers for either forced labor or sex trafficking in the last year;
- Kuwait's victim protection measures remain weak, particularly due to its lack of proactive victim identification procedures and continued reliance on the sponsorship system, which causes victims of trafficking to be punished for immigration violations rather than protected (2013)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Kuwait.” The World Factbook 2014. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/kuwait/2014.