2010 Edition

Background

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 May 2009 of four women to its National Assembly.

Area

land

17,818 sq km

total

17,818 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Coastline

499 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

unnamed elevation 306 m

lowest point

Persian Gulf 0 m

Environment - current issues

limited natural fresh water 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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

164 cu m/yr (2000)

total

0.44 cu km/yr (45%/2%/52%)

Geographic coordinates

29 30 N, 45 45 E

Geography - note

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Irrigated land

130 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

total

462 km

Land use

arable land

0.84%

other

98.99% (2005)

permanent crops

0.17%

Location

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 nm

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

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Terrain

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Total renewable water resources

0.02 cu km (1997)

Age structure

0-14 years: 26.4% (male 361,274/female 348,351) 15-64 years: 70.7% (male 1,219,674/female 683,494) 65 years and over: 3% (male 49,807/female 29,926) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

21.64 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

2.29 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2006)

Ethnic groups

Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

8.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

9.35 deaths/1,000 live births

total

8.75 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.18 years (2010 est.)

male

76.64 years

total population

77.89 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

91% (2005 census)

male

94.4%

total population

93.3%

Median age

female

22.9 years (2010 est.)

male

28.2 years

total

26.4 years

Nationality

adjective

Kuwaiti

noun

Kuwaiti(s)

Net migration rate

15.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

2,789,132 note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

3.501% note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2010 est.)

Religions

Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shia 30%), other (includes Christian, Hindu, Parsi) 15%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

13 years (2006)

male

12 years

total

12 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.041 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.79 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.65 male(s)/female

total population

1.54 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.7 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

98% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al 'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak al Kabir

Capital

geographic coordinates

29 22 N, 47 58 E

name

Kuwait City

time difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

approved and promulgated 11 November 1962

Country name

conventional long form

State of Kuwait

conventional short form

Kuwait

local long form

Dawlat al Kuwayt

local short form

Al Kuwayt

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Deborah K. JONES

embassy

Bayan 36302, Block 13, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City

FAX

[965] 2538-0282

mailing address

P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880-9000

telephone

[965] 2259-1001

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador SALIM al-Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles

FAX

[1] (202) 364-2868

telephone

[1] (202) 966-0702

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the amir (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29 January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 7 February 2006)

elections

none; the amir is hereditary; the amir appoints the prime minister and deputy prime ministers

head of government

Prime Minister NASIR AL-MUHAMMAD al-Ahmad al-Sabah (since 3 April 2007); First Deputy Prime Minister JABIR AL-MUBAREK al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006); Deputy Prime Minister MUHAMMAD AL-SABAH al-Salim al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006)

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

Government type

constitutional emirate

Independence

19 June 1961 (from the UK)

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, Paris Club (associate), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

High Court of Appeal

Legal system

civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; all cabinet ministers are also ex officio voting members of the National Assembly)

election results

percent of vote by bloc - NA; seats by bloc - tribal MPs 25 (all Sunni Muslims, and represented primarily by the Al-Mutairi, Al-Azmi, Al-Ajmi, and Al-Rasheedi tribes), Shia Muslims 9, liberals 7, independents 6, Salafi (Sunni) Islamists 3

elections

last held on 16 May 2009 (next election to be held in 2013)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Ahmad MUSHARI al-Adwani/Ibrahim Nasir al-SOULA note: adopted 1978; the anthem is only used on formal occasions

name

"Al-Nasheed Al-Watani" (National Anthem)

National holiday

National Day, 25 February (1950)

Political parties and leaders

none; formation of political parties is in practice illegal but is not forbidden by law

Political pressure groups and leaders

other

Islamists; merchants; political groups; secular liberals and pro-governmental deputies; Shia activists; tribal groups

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal (adult); note - males in the military or police are not allowed to vote; adult females were allowed to vote as of 16 May 2005; all voters must have been citizens for 20 years

Agriculture - products

fish

Central bank discount rate

3% (31 December 2009) 3.75% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

5.9% (31 December 2009) 7.61% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

$38.2 billion (2010 est.) $28.61 billion (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$56.81 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $55.23 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Economy - overview

Kuwait has a geographically small, but wealthy, relatively open economy with self-reported crude oil reserves of about 102 billion barrels - about 9% 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. The rise in global oil prices throughout 2010 is reviving government consumption and economic growth as Kuwait experiences a 20% increase in government budget revenue. 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 acrimonious relationship between the National Assembly and the executive branch, which has stymied most movement on economic reforms. Nonetheless, the government in May 2010 passed a privatization bill that allows the government to sell assets to private investors, and in January passed an economic development plan that pledges to spend up to $130 billion in five years to diversify the economy away from oil, attract more investment, and boost private sector participation in the economy. Increasing government expenditures by so large an amount during the planned time frame may be difficult to accomplish.

Electricity - consumption

40.21 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

45.83 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US dollar - 0.2888 (2010), 0.2877 (2009), 0.2679 (2008), 0.2844 (2007), 0.29 (2006)

Exports

$65.03 billion (2010 est.) $50.34 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

oil and refined products, fertilizers

Exports - partners

Japan 17.9%, South Korea 17.31%, India 12.43%, Taiwan 9.07%, US 7.9%, China 7.55%, Singapore 5.48% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

0.3%

industry

48.1%

services

51.6% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$51,700 (2010 est.) $51,900 (2009 est.) $56,400 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3.2% (2010 est.) -4.6% (2009 est.) 8.5% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$117.3 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$144.3 billion (2010 est.) $139.8 billion (2009 est.) $146.5 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$20.36 billion (2010 est.) $17.08 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing

Imports - partners

US 11.18%, China 9.07%, Germany 7.63%, Japan 7.14%, Saudi Arabia 6.24%, Italy 5%, France 4.77%, India 4.09%, UK 4.02% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

2.1% (2010 est.)

Industries

petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water desalination, food processing, construction materials

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.8% (2010 est.) 4% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

13.8% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

2.154 million note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 60% of the labor force (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

Market value of publicly traded shares

$95.94 billion (31 December 2009) $107.2 billion (31 December 2008) $188 billion (31 December 2007)

Natural gas - consumption

12.7 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

300 million cu m (2009 est.) note: Kuwait signed a deal with ?XX? to import 2 billion cu m per year in 2010 and beyond (2009 est.)

Natural gas - production

12.7 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.798 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

320,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

2.349 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

2.494 million bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

104 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

12.6% of GDP (2010 est.) 13.1% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$22.42 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $20.38 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$88.71 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $86.53 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$44.31 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $34.73 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$1.281 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $1.081 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$96.71 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $90.71 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$18.12 billion (31 December 2010 est) $16.38 billion (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

2.2% (2004 est.)

Broadcast media

state-owned TV broadcaster operates 4 networks and a satellite channel; several private TV broadcasters have emerged since 2003; satellite TV is 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)

Internet country code

.kw

Internet hosts

2,485 (2010)

Internet users

1.1 million (2009)

Telephone system

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

general assessment

the quality of service is excellent

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

553,500 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

3.876 million (2009)

Airports

7 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

4 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2010)

Heliports

4 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 1, carrier 3, container 6, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 16

registered in other countries

47 (Bahamas 2, Bahrain 5, Comoros 1, Libya 1, Malta 2, Panama 12, Qatar 7, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saudi Arabia 4, UAE 10) (2010)

total

30

Pipelines

gas 269 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi

Roadways

paved

4,887 km

total

5,749 km

unpaved

862 km (2004)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 1,131,529 females age 16-49: 612,126 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 979,832 females age 16-49: 539,574 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

19,787 (2010 est.)

male

19,038

Military branches

Kuwaiti Land Forces (KLF), Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya), Kuwaiti National Guard (KNG) (2009)

Military expenditures

5.3% of GDP (2006)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for compulsory and 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; women age 18-30 may be subject to compulsory military service; conscription suspended in 2001 (2009)

Disputes - international

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Kuwait is a destination country for men and women who migrate legally from South and Southeast Asia for domestic or low-skilled labor, but are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude by employers in Kuwait including conditions of physical and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages, confinement to the home, and withholding of passports to restrict their freedom of movement; Kuwait is reportedly a transit point for South and East Asian workers recruited for low-skilled work in Iraq; some of these workers are deceived as to the true location and nature of this work, and others are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude in Iraq

tier rating

Tier 3 - Kuwaiti government has shown an inability to define trafficking and has demonstrated insufficient political will to address human trafficking adequately; much of the human trafficking found in Kuwait involves domestic workers in private residences and the government is reluctant to prosecute Kuwaiti citizens; the government has not enacted legislation targeting human trafficking nor established a permanent shelter for victims of trafficking (2009) page last updated on January 13, 2011 ======================================================================