Kuwait

Broadcast media

state-owned TV broadcaster operates 4 networks and a satellite channel; several private TV broadcasters have emerged since 2003; satellite TV available with pan-Arab TV stations especially popular; state-owned Radio Kuwait broadcasts on a number of channels in Arabic and English; first private radio station emerged in 2005; transmissions of at least 2 international radio broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet country code

.kw

Internet hosts

2,771 (2012) country comparison to the world: 156

Internet users

1.1 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 96

Telephone system

general assessment: the quality of service is excellent domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a mobile-cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well supplied with pay telephones international: country code - 965; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 6 (3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 1 Inmarsat - Atlantic Ocean, and 2 Arabsat)

Telephones - main lines in use

514,700 (2011) country comparison to the world: 98

Telephones - mobile cellular

4.935 million (2011) country comparison to the world: 104

Agriculture - products

fish

Budget

revenues: $106.9 billion expenditures: $69.18 billion (2012 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

21.6% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 2

Central bank discount rate

1.25% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 104 3% (31 December 2009 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

5.4% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 155 5.2% (31 December 2011 est.)

Current account balance

$73.26 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 $70.78 billion (2011 est.)

Debt - external

$28.21 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 72 $29.87 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Economy - overview

Kuwait has a geographically small, but wealthy, relatively open economy with crude oil reserves of about 102 billion barrels - about 7% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and 95% of government income. Kuwaiti officials have committed to increasing oil production to 4 million barrels per day by 2020. The rise in global oil prices throughout 2011 and 2012 is reviving government consumption and economic growth. Kuwait has experienced a 20% increase in government budget revenue, which has led to higher budget expenditures, particularly wage hikes for many public sector employees. Kuwait has done little to diversify its economy, in part, because of this positive fiscal situation, and, in part, due to the poor business climate and the historically acrimonious relationship between the National Assembly and the executive branch, which has stymied most movement on economic reforms. In 2010, Kuwait passed an economic development plan that pledges to spend up to $130 billion over five years to diversify the economy away from oil, attract more investment, and boost private sector participation in the economy.

Exchange rates

Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US dollar - 0.2801 (2012 est.) 0.276 (2011 est.) 0.2866 (2010 est.) 0.2877 (2009) 0.2679 (2008)

Exports

$109.4 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 38 $104.3 billion (2011 est.)

Exports - commodities

oil and refined products, fertilizers

Exports - partners

South Korea 17.7%, India 15.3%, Japan 13.7%, China 9.6%, US 8.4% (2011)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate)

$174.6 billion (2012 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$165.9 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 $156 billion (2011 est.) $144.3 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 0.2% industry: 42.3% services: 57.5% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$43,800 (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 16 $42,400 (2011 est.) $40,300 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

6.3% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 35 8.2% (2011 est.) 2.5% (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$24.1 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 69 $21.96 billion (2011 est.)

Imports - commodities

food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing

Imports - partners

US 12.4%, China 9.7%, Saudi Arabia 8.4%, South Korea 6.5%, India 6.4%, Japan 6.2%, Germany 5%, UAE 4.3% (2011)

Industrial production growth rate

8.7% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 21

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.2% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 4.7% (2011 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

15.3% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 136

Labor force

2.304 million country comparison to the world: 115 note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 60% of the labor force (2012 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Market value of publicly traded shares

$100.9 billion (31 December 2011) country comparison to the world: 39 $119.6 billion (31 December 2010) $95.94 billion (31 December 2009)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

7.1% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 145 7.5% of GDP (2011 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$29.26 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 $25.91 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of broad money

$109.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 53 $99.89 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$57.97 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 34 $48.39 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$3.194 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 $2.764 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$93.11 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 $91.48 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$28.46 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 59 $23.8 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

61.2% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 10

Unemployment rate

2.2% (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 17

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

81.33 million Mt (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 44

Crude oil - exports

1.365 million bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 11

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 204

Crude oil - production

2.682 million bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 11

Crude oil - proved reserves

101.5 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 7

Electricity - consumption

43.41 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 50

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 89

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 21

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 178

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 121

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 145

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 208

Electricity - installed generating capacity

10.94 million kW (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 53

Electricity - production

51.32 billion kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 50

Natural gas - consumption

12.62 billion cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 43

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 100

Natural gas - imports

890 million cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 62

Natural gas - production

11.73 billion cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 42

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.798 trillion cu m (1 January 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 21

Refined petroleum products - consumption

339,000 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 38

Refined petroleum products - exports

717,700 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10

Refined petroleum products - imports

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 211

Refined petroleum products - production

902,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24

Area

total: 17,818 sq km country comparison to the world: 158 land: 17,818 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Coastline

499 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: unnamed elevation 306 m

Environment - current issues

limited natural freshwater resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.44 cu km/yr (45%/2%/52%) per capita: 164 cu m/yr (2000)

Geographic coordinates

29 30 N, 45 45 E

Geography - note

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Irrigated land

100 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 462 km border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

Land use

arable land: 0.84% permanent crops: 0.17% other: 98.99% (2005)

Location

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year but are most common between March and August

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Terrain

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Total renewable water resources

0.02 cu km (1997)

Administrative divisions

6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al 'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak al Kabir

Capital

name: Kuwait City geographic coordinates: 29 22 N, 47 58 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

approved and promulgated 11 November 1962

Country name

conventional long form: State of Kuwait conventional short form: Kuwait local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt local short form: Al Kuwayt

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Matthew H. TUELLER embassy: Bayan 36302, Block 13, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880-9000 telephone: [965] 2259-1001 FAX: [965] 2538-0282

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM al-Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702 FAX: [1] (202) 364-2868 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Executive branch

chief of state: Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29 January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (born 25 June 1937) head of government: Prime Minister JABIR AL-MUBARAK al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 30 November 2011); First Deputy Prime Minister AHMAD al-Hamud al-Jabir al-Sabah; Deputy Prime Ministers AHMAD AL-KHALID al-Hamad al-Sabah, SABAH AL-KHALID al-Hamad al-Sabah, Mustafa al-Jassim al-SHAMALI cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the amir; new cabinet formed in February 2012 (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: none; the amir is hereditary; the amir appoints the prime minister and deputy prime ministers

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side; colors and design are based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I; green represents fertile fields, white stands for purity, red denotes blood on Kuwaiti swords, black signifies the defeat of the enemy

Government type

constitutional emirate

Independence

19 June 1961 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CD, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, Paris Club (associate), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

High Court of Appeal

Legal system

mixed legal system consisting of English common law, French civil law, and Islamic religious law

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (66 seats - 50 members elected by popular vote plus 16 cabinet ministers appointed by the prime minister as ex officio voting members; elected members serve four-year terms); note - the National Assembly was dissolved on 7 October 2012 elections: last held on 1 December 2012 (next to be held in 2016) election results: percent of vote by bloc - Shia 17, collection of mostly new tribalist and independent candidates 33

National anthem

name: "Al-Nasheed Al-Watani" (National Anthem) lyrics/music: Ahmad MUSHARI al-Adwani/Ibrahim Nasir al-SOULA note: adopted 1978; the anthem is only used on formal occasions

National holiday

National Day, 25 February (1950)

National symbol(s)

golden falcon

Political parties and leaders

none; formation of political parties is in practice illegal but is not forbidden by law

Political pressure groups and leaders

other: Islamists; merchants; political groups; secular liberals and pro-governmental deputies; Shia activists; tribal groups

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal; note - males in the military or police are by law not allowed to vote; all voters must have been citizens for 20 years

Background

Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. The AL-SABAH family has ruled since returning to power in 1991 and reestablished an elected legislature that in recent years has become increasingly assertive. The country witnessed the historic election in May 2009 of four women to its National Assembly. Amid the 2010-11 uprisings and protests across the Arab world, stateless Arabs, known as bidoon, staged small protests in February and March 2011 demanding citizenship, jobs, and other benefits available to Kuwaiti nationals. Youth activist groups - supported by opposition legislators and the prime minister's rivals within the ruling family - rallied repeatedly in 2011 for an end to corruption and the ouster of the prime minister and his cabinet. Opposition legislators forced the prime minister to resign in late 2011. In October and November 2012, Kuwait witnessed unprecedented protests in response to the Amir's changes to the electoral law reducing the number of votes per person from four to one. The oppostion, led by a coalition of Sunni Islamists, tribalists, some liberals, and a myriad of youth groups, boycotted the Decemeber 2012 legislative election, resulting in a historic number of seats won by Shia candidates. Since 2006, the Amir has dissolved the National Assembly on five occasions (the Constitutional Court dissolved the Assembly once in June 2012) and reshuflled the cabinet 12 times, usually citing political stagnation and gridlock between the legislature and the government.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 1,002,480 females age 16-49: 616,958 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 840,912 females age 16-49: 523,206 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 17,653 female: 16,232 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Kuwaiti Land Forces (KLF), Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya; includes Kuwaiti Air Defense Force, KADF), Kuwaiti National Guard (KNG) (2012)

Military expenditures

5.3% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 14

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for compulsory and 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; women age 18-30 may be subject to compulsory military service; conscription suspended in 2001 (2009)

Age structure

0-14 years: 25.7% (male 353,611/ female 326,035) 15-64 years: 72.3% (male 1,175,185/ female 736,940) 65 years and over: 2.1% (male 26,706/ female 27,837) (2012 est.)

Birth rate

20.96 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 82

Death rate

2.13 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 222

Education expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 111

Ethnic groups

Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 135

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA (2007 est.)

Health expenditures

6.8% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 87

Infant mortality rate

total: 7.87 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 158 male: 7.56 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

Languages

Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.28 years country comparison to the world: 67 male: 76.09 years female: 78.51 years (2012 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.3% male: 94.4% female: 91% (2005 census)

Major cities - population

KUWAIT (capital) 2.23 million (2009)

Maternal mortality rate

14 deaths/100,000 live births (2010) country comparison to the world: 145

Median age

total: 28.6 years male: 29.9 years female: 26.4 years (2012 est.)

Nationality

noun: Kuwaiti(s) adjective: Kuwaiti

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 92

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

28.8% (2000) country comparison to the world: 9

Physicians density

1.793 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

2,646,314 (July 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 140 note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals

Population growth rate

1.883% country comparison to the world: 63 note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2012 est.)

Religions

Muslim (official) 85% (Sunni 70%, Shia 30%), other (includes Christian, Hindu, Parsi) 15%

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 13 years (2006)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.6 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.43 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.6 children born/woman (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 80

Urbanization

urban population: 98% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Kuwait is a destination country for men and women subjected to forced labor and, to a lesser degree, forced prostitution; men and women migrate from India, Egypt, Bangladesh, Syria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, Iran, Jordan, Ethiopia, and Iraq to work in Kuwait, most of them in the domestic service, construction, and sanitation sectors; although most of these migrants enter Kuwait voluntarily, upon arrival some are subjected to conditions of forced labor by their sponsors and labor agents, including nonpayment of wages, long working hours without rest, deprivation of food, threats, physical or sexual abuse, and restrictions on movement, such as the withholding of passports or confinement to the workplace tier rating: Tier 3 - Kuwait does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making sufficient efforts to do so; the government did not enact its draft comprehensive anti-trafficking law; Kuwait's victim-protection measures remain weak, particularly due to its lack of proactive victim-identification procedures and continued reliance on the sponsorship system, which causes victims of trafficking to be punished for immigration violations rather than protected (2009)

Airports

7 (2012) country comparison to the world: 166

Airports - with paved runways

total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2012)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2012)

Heliports

4 (2012)

Merchant marine

total: 34 country comparison to the world: 82 by type: bulk carrier 2, carrier 3, container 6, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 19 registered in other countries: 45 (Bahamas 1, Bahrain 5, Comoros 1, Libya 1, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 2, Panama 12, Qatar 6, Saudi Arabia 4, UAE 10) (2010)

Pipelines

gas 269 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2010)

Ports and terminals

Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi

Roadways

total: 5,749 km country comparison to the world: 150 paved: 4,887 km unpaved: 862 km (2004)