Western Asia · Gulf Cooperation Council
Kuwait Demographics: Migrant Population and Age Structure
Kuwait had about 5.31 million registered residents on 30 June 2026. Non-Kuwaiti residents accounted for roughly 70% of the total, while the concentration of migrant workers in adult ages produced an 81% working-age share and a pronounced male majority.
The figures use Public Authority for Civil Information records, Kuwait Central Statistical Bureau estimates, World Bank demographic series and the United Nations International Migrant Stock.
Core Demographic Indicators
A Migrant Majority Shapes the Population Total
Kuwaiti citizens and non-Kuwaiti residents follow different demographic paths. Citizen numbers change mainly through births, deaths and nationality changes. The non-Kuwaiti count can move faster because entries, exits, employment and residence status affect the registered population.
The Central Statistical Bureau estimated 4,881,254 residents at the start of 2025. Its Kuwaiti count rose by 20,387 from the start of 2024, while the non-Kuwaiti estimate fell by 52,404. PACI later reported about 5.31 million registered residents at the end of June 2026, including about 3.74 million non-Kuwaitis.
| Reference date | Total population | Kuwaiti | Non-Kuwaiti | Kuwaiti share | Non-Kuwaiti share | Measure type | Data provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2024 | 4,913,271 | 1,545,781 | 3,367,490 | 31.46% | 68.54% | Population estimate | Kuwait CSB |
| 1 January 2025 | 4,881,254 | 1,566,168 | 3,315,086 | 32.09% | 67.91% | Population estimate | Kuwait CSB |
| 30 June 2026 | About 5,310,000 | About 1,560,000 | About 3,740,000 | About 30% | About 70% | Registered population | PACI |
Why the Latest Population Totals Differ
- The CSB rows are annual estimates dated 1 January; the PACI row is a civil-registration count dated 30 June.
- The World Bank mid-year estimate for 2025 was 4,865,298, which was 15,956 lower than the CSB estimate dated 1 January 2025.
- The United Nations estimated 3,323,191 international migrants in 2024, equal to 67.3% of Kuwait’s population in that dataset. The Kuwait entry refers to foreign citizens.
Nine Communities Account for Most Non-Kuwaiti Residents
Indian residents formed the largest expatriate community in June 2026, followed by Egyptians and Bangladeshis. The nine groups listed here accounted for about 3.14 million people, or roughly 84% of the reported non-Kuwaiti population.
| Nationality | Residents | Share of total population | Share of non-Kuwaiti population | Reference date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian | About 1,060,000 | 20.0% | 28.3% | 30 June 2026 |
| Egyptian | About 670,000 | 12.6% | 17.9% | 30 June 2026 |
| Bangladeshi | 333,100 | 6.3% | 8.9% | 30 June 2026 |
| Filipino | 226,500 | 4.3% | 6.1% | 30 June 2026 |
| Syrian | 201,500 | 3.8% | 5.4% | 30 June 2026 |
| Sri Lankan | 197,400 | 3.7% | 5.3% | 30 June 2026 |
| Nepali | 186,600 | 3.5% | 5.0% | 30 June 2026 |
| Saudi | 155,500 | 2.9% | 4.2% | 30 June 2026 |
| Pakistani | 105,700 | 2.0% | 2.8% | 30 June 2026 |
Largest Expatriate Communities
Registered residents by nationality on 30 June 2026
PACI figures released for 30 June 2026. Counts and calculated shares are rounded.
Population Growth Changes Direction When Migration Shifts
The World Bank annual series rose from 311,060 people in 1960 to 4.87 million in 2025. The path was uneven. The series contains a sharp break around 1990–1991, a smaller decline from 2019 through 2021 and renewed growth through 2024 before a modest fall in 2025.
These changes cannot be read as natural increase alone. In a population where non-citizens form about two-thirds or more of the total, changes in residence and migration can outweigh the difference between births and deaths.
| Year | Population | Measure type |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 311,060 | Annual population estimate |
| 1970 | 809,114 | Annual population estimate |
| 1980 | 1,504,782 | Annual population estimate |
| 1989 | 2,217,468 | Annual population estimate |
| 1990 | 1,684,819 | Annual population estimate |
| 1991 | 1,351,399 | Annual population estimate |
| 2000 | 1,954,709 | Annual population estimate |
| 2010 | 2,943,372 | Annual population estimate |
| 2019 | 4,442,316 | Annual population estimate |
| 2020 | 4,400,267 | Annual population estimate |
| 2021 | 4,360,865 | Annual population estimate |
| 2022 | 4,589,643 | Annual population estimate |
| 2023 | 4,853,420 | Annual population estimate |
| 2024 | 4,897,263 | Annual population estimate |
| 2025 | 4,865,298 | Annual population estimate |
Kuwait Population, Selected Years
Annual World Bank population series from 1960 to 2025
World Bank World Development Indicators. Selected years retain the breaks visible in the annual series.
Where the Population Series Changes Direction
- The estimate fell by 866,069 between 1989 and 1991, a decline of 39.1% across the period.
- The series decreased by 81,451 between 2019 and 2021, then rose by 536,398 between 2021 and 2024.
- The 2025 value was 31,965 lower than in 2024, a one-year change of −0.65%.
Working Ages Carry the Male Surplus
PACI’s June 2026 count placed 4.28 million people in ages 15–64, compared with about 870,600 children under 15 and 158,200 people aged 65 or older. The same release counted about 3.21 million males and 2.10 million females.
The broad 2026 age totals describe the latest registered structure. A separate December 2022 CSB table supplies the detailed age-sex distribution needed for a population pyramid. The older table is not extrapolated to 2026.
Broad Age Structure, June 2026
| Age group | Population | Share | Measure type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–14 | About 870,600 | 16% | Registered population |
| 15–64 | About 4,280,000 | 81% | Registered population |
| 65+ | About 158,200 | 3% | Registered population |
Detailed Age-Sex Distribution, December 2022
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Male share | Female share | Males per 100 females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 | 25,839 | 24,343 | 50,182 | 51.5% | 48.5% | 106.1 |
| 1–4 | 110,593 | 108,896 | 219,489 | 50.4% | 49.6% | 101.6 |
| 5–9 | 163,134 | 154,259 | 317,393 | 51.4% | 48.6% | 105.8 |
| 10–14 | 162,891 | 154,099 | 316,990 | 51.4% | 48.6% | 105.7 |
| 15–19 | 132,288 | 127,996 | 260,284 | 50.8% | 49.2% | 103.4 |
| 20–24 | 129,053 | 109,593 | 238,646 | 54.1% | 45.9% | 117.8 |
| 25–29 | 306,209 | 151,429 | 457,638 | 66.9% | 33.1% | 202.2 |
| 30–34 | 337,189 | 178,546 | 515,735 | 65.4% | 34.6% | 188.9 |
| 35–39 | 415,696 | 221,081 | 636,777 | 65.3% | 34.7% | 188.0 |
| 40–44 | 376,561 | 186,419 | 562,980 | 66.9% | 33.1% | 202.0 |
| 45–49 | 280,096 | 151,566 | 431,662 | 64.9% | 35.1% | 184.8 |
| 50–54 | 211,309 | 109,904 | 321,213 | 65.8% | 34.2% | 192.3 |
| 55–59 | 138,642 | 72,908 | 211,550 | 65.5% | 34.5% | 190.2 |
| 60–64 | 72,352 | 45,048 | 117,400 | 61.6% | 38.4% | 160.6 |
| 65–69 | 37,073 | 28,002 | 65,075 | 57.0% | 43.0% | 132.4 |
| 70–74 | 17,458 | 16,744 | 34,202 | 51.0% | 49.0% | 104.3 |
| 75–79 | 8,987 | 10,568 | 19,555 | 46.0% | 54.0% | 85.0 |
| 80+ | 7,687 | 9,110 | 16,797 | 45.8% | 54.2% | 84.4 |
Kuwait Population Pyramid, December 2022
Estimated population by published age group and sex
Kuwait Central Statistical Bureau, December 2022. The age bands are retained as published.
Where the Sex Balance Shifts
- The 35–39 group was the largest age band in the 2022 table, with 636,777 people.
- From ages 25–29 through 60–64, the ratio ranged from 160.6 to 202.2 males per 100 females.
- Females became the majority in the 75–79 and 80+ groups, with 85.0 and 84.4 males per 100 females.
Fertility Dropped to 1.56 Births per Woman in 2024
Kuwait’s total fertility rate declined from 7.223 births per woman in 1960 to 1.560 in 2024. The rate moved close to the broad 2.1 replacement benchmark during the 2010s, rose to 2.148 in 2021 and then fell to 1.546 in 2022.
Total fertility rate is a period measure built from age-specific fertility rates. It is different from the crude birth rate, the annual number of births and completed family size. The national rate also should not be treated as a citizen-only fertility measure.
| Year | Total fertility rate | Difference from 2.1 benchmark | Measure type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 7.223 | +5.123 | Births per woman |
| 1970 | 7.025 | +4.925 | Births per woman |
| 1980 | 5.184 | +3.084 | Births per woman |
| 1990 | 3.487 | +1.387 | Births per woman |
| 2000 | 2.887 | +0.787 | Births per woman |
| 2010 | 2.044 | −0.056 | Births per woman |
| 2017 | 2.160 | +0.060 | Births per woman |
| 2020 | 2.033 | −0.067 | Births per woman |
| 2021 | 2.148 | +0.048 | Births per woman |
| 2022 | 1.546 | −0.554 | Births per woman |
| 2023 | 1.524 | −0.576 | Births per woman |
| 2024 | 1.560 | −0.540 | Births per woman |
Total Fertility Rate, Selected Years
Births per woman compared with a broad 2.1 replacement benchmark
World Bank World Development Indicators, 1960–2024.
Fertility interpretation: A Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti fertility split requires births and female population denominators by age and nationality. The combined national rate cannot show whether the two resident populations follow the same fertility pattern.
How the Fertility Series Changed
- The rate fell by 4.336 births per woman between 1960 and 2000.
- Values moved close to the 2.1 benchmark during the 2010s rather than following a straight annual decline.
- The fall from 2.148 in 2021 to 1.546 in 2022 was 0.602 births per woman; the rate then changed little between 2022 and 2024.
How Kuwait’s Main Demographic Measures Connect
Short-run changes in the non-Kuwaiti population can outweigh the slower movement in the citizen population.
The 15–64 group represented 81% of the June 2026 registered population.
The male surplus was concentrated in working ages, while females became the majority after age 75 in the 2022 detailed table.
The 2024 total fertility rate was below two births per woman, but the combined figure does not isolate Kuwaiti citizens.
Data Sources and Methodology
The headline values use PACI registered-population figures dated 30 June 2026. CSB values are annual population estimates with separate reference dates. The long population and fertility series use World Bank World Development Indicators. The detailed age-sex table refers to December 2022 and retains the source age bands.
Shares, sex ratios, changes between displayed years and nationality shares were calculated from the listed counts. Rounded PACI figures produce approximate percentages. No missing year, age band or nationality count was estimated.
| Institution or dataset | Release or data year | Used for | Measure type |
|---|---|---|---|
| PACI Statistical Reports and June 2026 release summary | 30 June 2026 | Current population, nationality, broad age structure, sex distribution and expatriate communities | Registered population |
| Kuwait Central Statistical Bureau population estimates | 2024 and 2025 | Recent total, Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti estimates | Annual population estimate |
| CSB age-sex table reproduced by GLMM | December 2022 | Detailed age-sex table and population pyramid | Population estimate based on the 2021 census |
| World Bank World Development Indicators, Population Total | 1960–2025 | Long population series and changes in direction | Annual population estimate |
| World Bank World Development Indicators, Total Fertility Rate | 1960–2024 | Fertility level and trend | Period total fertility rate |
| United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024 | 2024 | International migrant stock and population share | Migrant stock estimate; Kuwait value refers to foreign citizens |
Methodological Safety Note: PACI registered population, CSB population estimates, World Bank annual population values and the UN migrant stock use different dates and population bases. They should not be joined as one uninterrupted series. The 2022 population pyramid describes the detailed age-sex distribution for that reference period; the newer 2026 age data are available here only in broad groups. The 2.1 fertility line is a broad replacement benchmark rather than a fixed national threshold.