Total population (thousands) in Kuwait
Kuwait: Total population (thousands) was 4,985 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
4,985 thousands
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
127th
of 233 countries
All-time high
4,985 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
780.41 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Total population in Kuwait, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total population in Kuwait is 4,985 thousands, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.1% on the previous year and up 33.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total population in Kuwait peaked at 4,985 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 780.41 thousands, in 1970.
That places Kuwait 127th out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Total population (thousands) in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 780.41 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 837.82 thousands | +7.4% |
| 1972 | 892.34 thousands | +6.5% |
| 1973 | 948.37 thousands | +6.3% |
| 1974 | 1,007 thousands | +6.2% |
| 1975 | 1,070 thousands | +6.2% |
| 1976 | 1,140 thousands | +6.6% |
| 1977 | 1,217 thousands | +6.8% |
| 1978 | 1,299 thousands | +6.7% |
| 1979 | 1,382 thousands | +6.4% |
| 1980 | 1,465 thousands | +6.0% |
| 1981 | 1,545 thousands | +5.4% |
| 1982 | 1,622 thousands | +5.0% |
| 1983 | 1,703 thousands | +5.0% |
| 1984 | 1,786 thousands | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 1,855 thousands | +3.9% |
| 1986 | 1,933 thousands | +4.2% |
| 1987 | 2,012 thousands | +4.1% |
| 1988 | 2,094 thousands | +4.1% |
| 1989 | 2,175 thousands | +3.9% |
| 1990 | 2,259 thousands | +3.9% |
| 1991 | 1,110 thousands | -50.9% |
| 1992 | 1,593 thousands | +43.5% |
| 1993 | 1,677 thousands | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 1,667 thousands | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 1,662 thousands | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 1,701 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 1,759 thousands | +3.4% |
| 1998 | 1,816 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 1,872 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 1,928 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 1,982 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 2,034 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 2,085 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 2,134 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 2,180 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 2,293 thousands | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 2,436 thousands | +6.2% |
| 2008 | 2,580 thousands | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 2,723 thousands | +5.6% |
| 2010 | 2,868 thousands | +5.3% |
| 2011 | 3,019 thousands | +5.3% |
| 2012 | 3,247 thousands | +7.5% |
| 2013 | 3,428 thousands | +5.6% |
| 2014 | 3,588 thousands | +4.7% |
| 2015 | 3,744 thousands | +4.3% |
| 2016 | 3,925 thousands | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 4,083 thousands | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 4,227 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 4,420 thousands | +4.6% |
| 2020 | 4,464 thousands | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 4,336 thousands | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 4,386 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 4,793 thousands | +9.3% |
| 2024 | 4,884 thousands | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 4,985 thousands | +2.1% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 4,985 thousands is above the median for high income countries, which is 3,084 thousands, 1.6× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 4,985 thousands is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 11,575 thousands, 43% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total population (thousands) in Kuwait changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -50.9% | 2,259 thousands | 1,110 thousands |
| 1992 | +43.5% | 1,110 thousands | 1,593 thousands |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1,057 thousands | 780.41 thousands | 1,382 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,819 thousands | 1,465 thousands | 2,175 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,712 thousands | 1,110 thousands | 2,259 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,238 thousands | 1,928 thousands | 2,723 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,655 thousands | 2,868 thousands | 4,420 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,641 thousands | 4,336 thousands | 4,985 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 124 Mauritania 5,242 thousands compare
- 125 New Zealand 5,234 thousands compare
- 126 Costa Rica 5,142 thousands compare
- 128 Panama 4,544 thousands compare
- 129 Croatia 3,861 thousands compare
- 130 Georgia 3,808 thousands compare
More population data for Kuwait
- Population regions 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 long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.801 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0278 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,155 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.7699 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.9514 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.8% (2100)
- Population density 538.83 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 563,011 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total population in Kuwait?
- Total population in Kuwait was 4,985 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total population recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 4,985 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest total population recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 780.41 thousands in 1970.
- How does Kuwait rank for total population?
- Kuwait ranks 127th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is total population rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total population (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release