53 Interesting Facts About Kuwait

Last updated on February 12th, 2022

25. The majority of its population resides along the coastal region.

26. There are 141 males for every 100 females in the country.

27. There are more than one million non nationals living in the country, citing better trade and job opportunities. The majority of this population migrated to the coastal region after the discovery of oil. As of 2016, its total population consisted of 69% immigrants.

28. There are no railways in Kuwait.

29. Kuwait is the only GCC country besides Bahrain to have a local Christian population who hold citizenship.

30. In the modern time, the influence of Islam can be clearly seen in the lifestyle and houses of the Kuwaitis.

31. Direct contact between women and strange men is avoided at all times and the homes are also built in such as way that privacy of the inhabitants is preserved at all times.

32. Homes in Kuwait are generally clustered to serve the need for space for the extended family. More rooms are built as the need to accommodate more family members arises.

33. In April 2006, women voted for the first time in Kuwait after the country abandoned its ban on women’s suffrage (the right to vote in political elections.)

34. Kuwait has 10% of all the oil reserves in the world. The sale of oil to other countries is responsible for almost half of Kuwait’s income.

35. Because of difficult climatic conditions in the country, farming is not possible. Instead, Kuwait buys food from other countries and catches fish on its own.

36. Kuwait is also a signing member of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits the testing of nuclear weapons and substances in the region.

37. Despite the fact that Kuwait had seen difficulties due to war with Iraq; the country has a high standard of living.

38. Kuwait is also one of the founding members of the Organisation of Petrol Exporting Countries (OPEC). This organization was set up to protect the interest of the large countries taking advantage of Kuwait. In the Gulf War, many of the oil refinery facilities in Kuwait were destroyed.

Facts about Kuwait’s water resources, agriculture, cultivable land area, forests, educational institutions and more…

39. Kuwait is devoid of permanent rivers and lakes, which means that it has no fresh-water sources above the ground. It uses wells and performs desalination of sea water for drinking and other purposes. However, Kuwait has plenty of oil, as well as some of the largest and most advanced desalination plants in the world to produce water for its consumption.

40. Only 1% of the total available land area is utilized for growing crops. The government actively supports agriculture and provides loans and other aids to help people to pursue farming in the region.

Oil barrels.
Oil barrels.

41. There are no natural forests in Kuwait. However, there are billions of barrels of oil available to the country in its underground reserves.

42. Sadu is a traditional form of Kuwaiti handicraft weaving. Cloth is generally created in the colors of red and black.

43. Kuwait University (opened in 1966) is the country’s only university.

44. 90% of the more-than 150,000 volumes in The National Library of Kuwait are in the Arabic language.

45. Meals are served family-style and generally follow a strict order, with guests being served first, followed by the oldest family member, continuing down to the youngest person.

46. There are no territories or colonies in Kuwait.

47. The Constitution of Kuwait was promulgated in 1962.

48. Kuwait also appears on the list of the world’s top-ten ‘fattest’ countries. They give preference to a rich diet and do not involve in exercising much.

49. Kuwait is one of the most urbanized countries in the world as the majority of the population of the country lives in Kuwait City, which is also the capital of Kuwait. Kuwait’s legal system is largely secular.

Three Kuwaiti men talking and smoking on a bench, dressed in winter colored dishdashas.
Three Kuwaiti men talking and smoking on a bench, dressed in winter colored dishdashas.

50. Kuwaiti men wear a traditional dress called Dishdasha which is white in the summer month and made from wool in dark colors during the winter.

51. The metric system has been adopted as the country’s legal standard of weights and measures.

52. Kuwait also has one of the largest per capita incomes in the world. Qatar and Luxembourg are among the top five nations on the list. See the list here

53. Surprisingly, Kuwaitis are a minority in their own country. A law passed in 1981 limited the right of citizenship of Kuwait to only Muslims.

Kuwait – country at a glance

Independence19 June 1961 (from the UK)
Capital CityKuwait City
(29°22′N 47°58′E)
Largest CityKuwait City
(29°22′N 47°58′E)
Total area17,818 sq km
Population3,068,155 (2022 est.)
Official LanguageArabic
DemonymKuwaiti
Government typeconstitutional monarchy
EmirNawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Prime MinisterAhmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
National symbolgolden falcon
National colorsgreen, white, red, black
BordersSaudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran
CurrencyKuwaiti dinar (KWD)
ReligionIslam
Life expectancy at birth79.13 years (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.
Literacy rate 96.1% (age 15 and over can read and write)
Terrainflat to slightly undulating desert plain
Mean elevation108 m
Lowest pointPersian Gulf 0 m
Highest point3.6 km W. of Al-Salmi Border Post 300 m
Climatedry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Natural resourcespetroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Agricultural land8.5%
Birth rate17.78 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate2.25 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Sex ratio1.37 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Industriespetroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water desalination, food processing, construction materials
Exports$72.83 billion (2019 est.)
oil and refined products, fertilizers

Imports$59.65 billion (2019 est.)
food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing
GDP - per capita (PPP)$49,900 (2019 est.)
Time ZoneAST / KSA (UTC+3)
Internet country code.kw
Drives on theRight
Calling Code+965
Table last updatedAugust 01, 2022