Kuwait

This article is about the country. For its capital with a similar name, see Kuwait City. For other uses, see Kuwait (disambiguation).

State of Kuwait دَوْلَة ٱلْكُوَيْت (Arabic) Dawlat al-Kuwayt
Flag Emblem
Motto: الله، الوطن، الأمير Allāh, al-Waṭan, al-Amir "God, Nation, Emir"
Anthem: النشيد الوطني الكويتي al-Nashīd al-Waṭanī al-Kuwaytī "National Anthem of Kuwait"
Capital and largest city	Kuwait City
Official languages	Arabic
Ethnic groups (2018)	57.8% Arab 40.3% South Asian 1.0% African 0.9% other
Religion (2013)	~74-75% Islam (official) ~18% Christianity ~7% other
Demonym	Kuwaiti
Government	Unitary constitutional monarchy
• Emir	Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
• Crown Prince	Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah
• Prime Minister	Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah
Legislature	The National Assembly (suspended)
Formation of the State of Kuwait
• Anglo-Kuwaiti Agreement	23 January 1899
• Anglo-Ottoman Convention	29 July 1913
• Independence from the United Kingdom	19 June 1961
• Current Constitution	11 November 1962
• Iraqi invasion of Kuwait	2 August 1990
• Liberation of Kuwait	28 February 1991
Area
• Total	17,818 km2 (6,880 sq mi) (152nd)
• Water (%)	Negligible
Population
• 2025 estimate	5,118,445 (128th)
• Density	200.2/km2 (518.5/sq mi) (62nd)
GDP (PPP)	2025 estimate
• Total	$260.500 billion (74th)
• Per capita	$50,960 (40th)
GDP (nominal)	2025 estimate
• Total	$153.100 billion (59th)
• Per capita	$29,950 (41st)
HDI (2023)	0.852 very high (52nd)
Currency	Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)
Time zone	UTC+3 (AST)
Calling code	+965
ISO 3166 code	KW
Internet TLD	.kw
Nominal elective succession within the House of Sabah. Emirate

Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia. With a coastline of approximately 500 km (311 mi), it is situated at the head of the Persian Gulf in the northeastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering Iraq to the north and Saudi Arabia to the south. Kuwait is geographically the second closest Gulf country to mainland Iran (separated only by a small Iraqi coastline) after Iraq. The country is a small city-state; most of the population reside in the urban agglomeration of Kuwait City, the capital and largest city. As of 2024, Kuwait has a population of 4.82 million, of which 1.53 million are Kuwaiti citizens while the remaining 3.29 million are foreign nationals from over 100 countries. In 2024, Kuwait had the world's seventh largest number of foreign nationals as a percentage of the population, where its citizens make up fewer than 30% of the overall population.

The territory of modern-day Kuwait has been inhabited by humans since antiquity, particularly due to its strategic location near the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In the early 18th century, the territory of modern-day Kuwait was under the jurisdiction of the Bani Khalid clan; then the territory became known as the Sheikdom of Kuwait in 1752 and a British protectorate in 1899. Prior to the discovery of oil reserves in 1938, the territory of modern-day Kuwait contained a regional trade port. The protectorate agreements with the United Kingdom ended in June 1961 when Kuwait officially became an independent state.

From 1946 to 1982, Kuwait underwent large-scale modernization, largely based on income from oil production. In the 1980s, Kuwait experienced a period of geopolitical instability and an economic crisis following the stock market crash. It suffered pro-Iranian attacks during the Iran–Iraq War, as a result of Kuwait's financial support to Iraq. In 1990, the state of Kuwait was invaded, had a puppet regime installed, and was subsequently annexed by Ba'athist Iraq under the leadership of Saddam Hussein following disputes over oil production. The Iraqi occupation of Kuwait ended on 26 February 1991, after a U.S.–led international coalition expelled Iraqi forces from the country during the Gulf War.

Kuwait is a high-income economy, backed by the world's sixth largest oil reserves. Like most other Arab states of the Persian Gulf, it is an emirate; the emir is the head of state and the ruling Al Sabah family dominates the country's political system. Its official state religion is Islam, specifically the Maliki school of Sunni Islam. It is a founding member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and is also a member of the United Nations, OPEC, the Arab League, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. As of February 2026, Kuwait has the world's most valuable currency, with one Kuwaiti Dinar being worth 3.25 USD.