Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Kuwait: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (59.93/100, ranked #42 of 195).
Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy (emirate) in Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The country's capital is Kuwait City; it covers 17,818 sq km. Independence: 19 June 1961 (from the UK). Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain. Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters. Population: 3.2 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +1.07% per year. Median age: 30.4 years. Life expectancy: 79.6 years (2024 est.). Languages: Arabic (official), English widely spoken Religions: Muslim (official) 74.6%, Christian 18.2%, other and unspecified 7.2% (2013 est.) Urban population: 100% of total population (2023). Major urban areas: 3.…
| Capital | Kuwait City |
|---|---|
| Population | 3,172,511 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $225.947 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $45,400 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | -2.6% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 2.9% |
| Unemployment | 2.2% |
| Public debt | 9.9% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $89.71 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $61.521 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 79.6 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 30.4 |
| Urbanization | 100% of total population (2023) |
| Government | constitutional monarchy (emirate) |
| Independence | 19 June 1961 (from the UK) |
| Languages | Arabic (official), English widely spoken |
POWER 59.93/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter passed without decisive turns. Governance continued, markets functioned, and the score reflects that uneventfulness.
For countries like this, the real story is always the slow one — and this quarter added no new chapter to it.
Oil, Natural gas.
None. Amir MISHAL al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 16 December 2023)
Kuwait maintains 80 embassies and 15 consulates abroad, hosts 112 foreign diplomatic missions. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 80 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 15 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 112 |
Source: Outbound: Consular Affairs Center (Yonsei Univ.), diplomatic & consular networks database, March 2026 report (Zenodo). Hosted: counted from Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions in Kuwait' embassy list (crawled 2026-09-28).
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 499 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 6 + 20 heliports (registration prefix 9K) |
| Major seaports | Al Kuwayt, Doha Harbor, Mina Abd Allah, Mina Al Ahmadi, Mina Ash Shuaybah, Mina Az Zawr |
| Pipelines | 261 km gas, 540 km oil, 57 km refined products (2013) |
Kuwait International Airport (KWI) — Kuwait City.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | constitutional monarchy |
|---|---|
| Last election | 2024 — parliamentary; 2024-04-04; winner: opposition-dominated assembly (individuals; no parties) (n/a — party-less parliament); No functioning parliament since May 2024; IPU Parline confirms chamber suspended IPU Parline / Carnegie Endowment |
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER 59.93/100 Ranked #42 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Kuwait.
