PEOPLE
Over 90%
of the population lives within a 500-square kilometer area surrounding
Kuwait City and its harbor. Although the majority of people residing
in the State of Kuwait are of Arab origin, less than half are
originally from the Arabian Peninsula. The discovery of oil in
1938 drew many Arabs from nearby states. Following the liberation
of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation in 1991, the Kuwaiti Government
undertook a serious effort to reduce the expatriate population
by specifically limiting the entry of workers from nations whose
leaders had supported Iraq during the Gulf War. Kuwait later abandoned
this policy, and it currently has a sizable foreign labor force
(over 60% of the total population).
Of the country’s total population, approximately 2.6 million are Muslims, including nearly all of its 973,000 citizens. While the national census does not distinguish between Sunni and Shi’a adherents, the majority of citizens, including the ruling family, belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. The total Sunni Muslim population is approximately 1.8 million, 681,100 of whom are citizens. The remaining 30% of Muslim citizens (approximately 778,260) are Shi’a. The Christian population is estimated to be more than 300,000 residents, including about 200 citizens. There also are communities of Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs.
Kuwait’s 83.5% literacy rate, one of the Arab world's highest, is the result of extensive government support for the education system. Public school education, including Kuwait University, is free, but access is restricted for foreign residents. The government sponsors the foreign study of qualified students abroad for degrees not offered at Kuwait University. In 2004, approximately 1,720 Kuwaitis were enrolled in U.S. universities, down 6.8% from the previous year.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Kuwaiti(s).
Population (Dec. 2006 est.): 3,052,000, including approximately 1 million Kuwaiti citizens and 2 million non-Kuwaiti citizens.
Annual growth rate (2006 est.): 3.52%.
Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 35%, other Arab 22%, non-Arab (primarily Asian) 39%, stateless Arabs (bidoon) 4%.
Religion: Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi’a 30% among Kuwaitis), with small Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, and Sikh communities.
Languages: Arabic (official), English is widely spoken.
Education: Compulsory from ages 6-14; free at all levels for Kuwaitis, including higher education. Adult literacy (age 15 and over)--83.5% for the overall population (male 85.1%, female 81.7%), 91.2% for Kuwaitis (male 91.4%, female 90.8%).
Health: Infant mortality rate (2006 est.)--9.71 deaths/1,000 live births. Life expectancy (2006 est.)--76.13 yrs. male, 78.31 yrs. female.
Work force (2002 actual): 1.364 million (of which about 19% are Kuwaiti nationals. 62.7% male; 37.3% female).
