Kuwait population pyramid 2026
5,102,773 people in 2026 (projected). Kuwait’s pyramid is two populations stacked together: a small, balanced base of resident families and a male-dominated block of migrant workers aged 25–59.
- 2026 population
- 5.1Mrank 128 of 237
- Median age
- 34.8 yearsoldest rank 107
- Fertility rate
- 1.49births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older3.3% age 65+
Kuwait population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Kuwait age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 17.8% of the population, while 3.3% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 79.0% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Kuwait’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 26.6: about 27 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (22.5 children and 4.1 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Kuwait’s population pyramid
A narrow waist at 20–24
The most revealing feature of Kuwait’s 2026 pyramid is a notch at ages 20–24, about 25% smaller than the bands around it. It is not the trace of a missing birth cohort. Below it, the pyramid shows the children of resident families, citizens and expatriates, with boys and girls in near balance. Above it, the male side suddenly doubles: there are about 188 men per 100 women at ages 25–29 and close to 2 to 1 through the forties. These are the recruited workers, largely from South and Southeast Asia and other Arab countries, who make up the majority of residents. The notch largely marks where one population ends and the other begins.
Kuwait’s oil exports began in 1946, and the pyramid was already unusual in 1950, when the country had about 154,000 inhabitants and men aged 20–34 outnumbered women of those ages by more than two to one. The population passed one million by 1975. The Iraqi invasion of 1990–91 caused mass departures, but recruitment resumed after liberation, and the UN estimates net immigration of about 1.9 million between 2000 and 2023.
Low fertility among residents, very few deaths
Fertility fell from over 7 children per woman around 1960 to about 1.5 in 2026, so each recent birth cohort is smaller than the next older one, giving the base a slight inward taper below age 15. Deaths are extremely low, at about 1.8 per 1,000 people, because the large migrant workforce is of working age and most leave before old age. Above 65 the sex ratio falls quickly, and from the late seventies women outnumber men, as among older people elsewhere.
The overall sex ratio of about 156 men per 100 women places Kuwait high in the sex ratio ranking, though below Qatar. In 2026 Kuwait’s age structure is closest to those of Bahrain, the Maldives, Qatar, Seychelles and Saudi Arabia.
Under the medium scenario the population rises from about 5.1 million in 2026 to 6.4 million in 2050 and 9.6 million in 2100, and the median age barely changes, from about 35 to 36, because continuing migration keeps replenishing the working ages.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
Comparing each five-year band with its neighbours picks out the cohorts that break a smooth slope. These irregularities usually record past surges or deficits in births, or migration concentrated at particular ages; the pattern alone does not identify which. The guide to baby booms and echo cohorts explains how to date and interpret them.
| Age band in 2026 | Born about | Feature | Versus neighbouring bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20–24 | 2002–2006 | Notch (smaller cohort) | −25% |
In the UN medium scenario births outnumber deaths in every year through 2100. Children under 15 outnumber people aged 65 and older in every pyramid year through 2100.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Kuwait is projected to record 49,465 births (about 135 births a day) and 9,190 deaths, a natural increase of 40,275. Net migration adds +30,696 people, ranking #18 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 1,261,384 births, 160,464 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +1,855,573. Over that period migration moved the total more than the balance of births and deaths did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of +143,628 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 82.3 years52.2 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 79.8 years47.9 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 18.7 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 6.0per 1,000 births · 155 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 7.1per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 30.4 yearssex ratio at birth 104.6
Women in Kuwait are projected to live 2.5 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 155 to 6.0 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #155 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 30.4 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Kuwait
The median age of 34.8 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.49 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 81.0 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,102,773 | #128 | Largest first |
| Median age | 34.8 years | #107 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.49 | #171 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +1.4% | #74 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 81.0 years | #53 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 3.3% | #203 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Kuwait
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 35–39 | 633,784 | 12.4% | 414.8K / 219K |
| 2 | 40–44 | 615,611 | 12.1% | 406.5K / 209.2K |
| 3 | 30–34 | 548,282 | 10.7% | 359.3K / 189K |
| 4 | 45–49 | 482,452 | 9.5% | 315.5K / 166.9K |
| 5 | 25–29 | 435,831 | 8.5% | 284.4K / 151.4K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Kuwait has 3,113,588 males and 1,989,185 females. That is 156.5 males per 100 females, ranking #6 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 61.0% of the population and females for 39.0%. There are 1,124,403 more males than females overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 113.4 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 104.6 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Kuwait has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 153,958 in 1950 to 5,102,773 in 2026, a change of 3214%. Over the same span, median age moved from 20.3 to 34.8 years.
The under-15 share changed from 37.4% to 17.8%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 2.9% to 3.3%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Kuwait’s population is projected to grow by about 25%, reaching 6,367,756 in 2050. The median age changes from 34.8 to 35.6 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 3.3 percentage points to 6.6%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 17.7%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The population is still rising at the end of the UN medium projection in 2100, when it reaches 9,602,014. The page therefore does not assign a peak year beyond the available horizon.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 153,958 | 20.3 | 7.12 | 49.7 | 6,827 | 2,442 | 0 | +2.9% |
| 1960 | 311,060 | 21.0 | 7.22 | 58.9 | 14,285 | 3,232 | +21,769 | +10.6% |
| 1970 | 809,114 | 17.5 | 7.03 | 68.0 | 35,123 | 4,334 | +26,614 | +7.1% |
| 1980 | 1,504,782 | 19.5 | 5.18 | 71.1 | 52,156 | 5,059 | +32,483 | +5.3% |
| 1990 | 1,684,819 | 22.3 | 3.49 | 72.9 | 53,774 | 7,055 | −1,196,050 | -71.1% |
| 2000 | 1,954,709 | 24.9 | 2.89 | 75.9 | 43,766 | 3,954 | +14,296 | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 2,943,372 | 28.6 | 2.04 | 77.5 | 55,560 | 5,722 | +101,566 | +5.1% |
| 2020 | 4,400,144 | 36.8 | 2.10 | 78.2 | 52,346 | 12,488 | −168,379 | -2.9% |
| 2023 | 4,838,782 | 34.5 | 1.52 | 80.4 | 49,342 | 8,624 | +50,008 | +1.9% |
| 2024* | 4,934,508 | 34.8 | 1.51 | 80.6 | 48,132 | 9,030 | +61,624 | +2.0% |
| 2026* | 5,102,773 | 34.8 | 1.49 | 81.0 | 49,465 | 9,190 | +30,696 | +1.4% |
| 2030* | 5,324,198 | 34.9 | 1.48 | 81.7 | 53,161 | 9,468 | +3,308 | +0.9% |
| 2040* | 5,831,210 | 35.0 | 1.48 | 83.4 | 60,797 | 11,126 | +3,620 | +0.9% |
| 2050* | 6,367,756 | 35.6 | 1.50 | 84.9 | 64,047 | 14,450 | +3,931 | +0.8% |
| 2060* | 6,910,768 | 35.7 | 1.52 | 86.2 | 70,347 | 17,956 | +3,815 | +0.8% |
| 2070* | 7,502,414 | 35.8 | 1.53 | 87.4 | 79,099 | 20,377 | +3,460 | +0.8% |
| 2080* | 8,154,798 | 35.9 | 1.55 | 88.5 | 86,628 | 21,708 | +3,033 | +0.8% |
| 2090* | 8,857,425 | 35.9 | 1.57 | 89.6 | 95,241 | 25,442 | +2,666 | +0.8% |
| 2100* | 9,602,014 | 35.9 | 1.57 | 90.6 | 105,331 | 31,198 | +2,398 | +0.8% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 139,020 | 134,561 | 273,581 | 5.4% |
| 5–9 | 155,653 | 150,935 | 306,588 | 6.0% |
| 10–14 | 167,725 | 158,147 | 325,872 | 6.4% |
| 15–19 | 148,287 | 142,290 | 290,577 | 5.7% |
| 20–24 | 146,658 | 124,111 | 270,769 | 5.3% |
| 25–29 | 284,404 | 151,427 | 435,831 | 8.5% |
| 30–34 | 359,264 | 189,018 | 548,282 | 10.7% |
| 35–39 | 414,774 | 219,010 | 633,784 | 12.4% |
| 40–44 | 406,456 | 209,155 | 615,611 | 12.1% |
| 45–49 | 315,522 | 166,930 | 482,452 | 9.5% |
| 50–54 | 235,528 | 125,502 | 361,030 | 7.1% |
| 55–59 | 160,446 | 85,396 | 245,842 | 4.8% |
| 60–64 | 91,457 | 54,749 | 146,206 | 2.9% |
| 65–69 | 47,023 | 34,060 | 81,083 | 1.6% |
| 70–74 | 23,268 | 21,247 | 44,515 | 0.9% |
| 75–79 | 10,669 | 12,487 | 23,156 | 0.5% |
| 80–84 | 4,213 | 5,912 | 10,125 | 0.2% |
| 85–89 | 2,458 | 2,978 | 5,436 | 0.1% |
| 90–94 | 646 | 1,030 | 1,676 | 0.0% |
| 95–99 | 109 | 216 | 325 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 8 | 24 | 32 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Kuwait’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Bahrain94% overlap · median age 33.4
- Maldives93% overlap · median age 33.4
- Qatar88% overlap · median age 33.4
- Seychelles88% overlap · median age 34.6
- Saudi Arabia88% overlap · median age 29.7
- Brunei88% overlap · median age 33.2
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Kuwait.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Kuwait Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/kuwait/
MLA
“Kuwait Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/kuwait/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Kuwait Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/kuwait/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kuwait in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Kuwait's population in 2026 is projected at 5,102,773.
What is the median age in Kuwait?
The projected median age in Kuwait in 2026 is 34.8 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Kuwait?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.49 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Kuwait's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 25%, from 5.1M to 6.4M.
What share of Kuwait is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 3.3% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 6.6%.
How many babies are born in Kuwait each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 49,465 births and 9,190 deaths in 2026, about 135 births a day. Births exceed deaths by 40,275.
What is life expectancy in Kuwait for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 82.3 years for women and 79.8 years for men, a gap of 2.5 years in favour of women.
Does Kuwait have more immigrants or emigrants?
Kuwait is projected to gain about 30,696 more people through migration than it loses in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +1,855,573.
What is the sex ratio in Kuwait?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 156.5 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.