Kuwait’s population hits 4.98 million: A new resident every 5.22 minutes

Dubai: Every 5.22 minutes, Kuwait gains a new resident. Whether through births, new arrivals or natural growth, the country’s population has steadily climbed to 4,987,826 by the end of 2024, according to the World Population Review 2025.

Expatriates make up 69 per cent of the total population, with 1.1 million Arab expatriates, 1.4 million from Asian countries, and the remainder from other nationalities, including the Bidoon (People without proper documents) community.

The annual report, sourced from the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Kuwait’s Central Statistical Bureau, ranks Kuwait 52nd globally in population growth, accounting for 0.06 per cent of the world’s total.
Kuwait has long been a destination for foreign workers, particularly in the private sector, where 96 per cent of employees are non-Kuwaitis, in contrast to 78 per cent Kuwaiti employment in government jobs.

The country once recorded the third-highest net migration rate globally in 2007, a trend that continues today as expatriates seek economic opportunities fuelled by Kuwait’s oil wealth and high living standards.

As the government looks to rebalance the workforce, discussions on reducing dependence on foreign labor have intensified.
Yet, with a birth occurring every 10.92 minutes, a death every 57.6 minutes, and a new arrival every 8.52 minutes, Kuwait’s demographic makeup remains firmly shaped by migration patterns.

Kuwait’s fertility rate for 2024 stood at 2.48 children per woman, but projections indicate a decline to 2.1 children per woman by 2035. Meanwhile, the country faces shifting demographics as the proportion of young Kuwaitis is expected to decrease, reshaping long-term workforce strategies.