Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Kuwait
Kuwait: Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas was 88.0% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Kuwait, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kuwait recorded 88.0% for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Kuwait peaked at 88.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 34.6%, in 1950.
Kuwait ranks 8th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 34.6% | — |
| 1955 | 42.9% | +23.9% |
| 1960 | 54.4% | +26.9% |
| 1965 | 56.8% | +4.4% |
| 1970 | 76.0% | +33.8% |
| 1975 | 75.2% | -1.1% |
| 1980 | 84.5% | +12.4% |
| 1985 | 85.6% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 83.1% | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 83.9% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 83.7% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 84.7% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 87.6% | +3.4% |
| 2015 | 86.9% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 88.0% | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 38.8% | 34.6% | 42.9% | 2 |
| 1960s | 55.6% | 54.4% | 56.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 75.6% | 75.2% | 76.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 85.0% | 84.5% | 85.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 83.5% | 83.1% | 83.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 84.2% | 83.7% | 84.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 87.2% | 86.9% | 87.6% | 2 |
| 2020s | 88.0% | 88.0% | 88.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 5 Macau, China 98.9% compare
- 6 Hong Kong, China 96.4% compare
- 7 Bahrain 89.4% compare
- 9 Congo 84.7% compare
- 10 Equatorial Guinea 83.8% compare
- 11 Djibouti 80.9% compare
More population data for Kuwait
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0278 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.801 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2043)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.801 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.8% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 563,011 people (2100)
- Population density 538.83 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.8% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.9514 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.7699 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Kuwait?
- Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Kuwait was 88.0% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 88.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.6% in 1950.
- How does Kuwait rank for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Kuwait ranks 8th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.