Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Kuwait
Kuwait: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 272.36 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
272.36 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 5.7%
World rank
45th
of 216 countries
All-time high
272.36 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
244.72 people per sq. km of land area
in 2021
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Kuwait, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in Kuwait is 272.36 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.7% on the previous year and up 9.3% over five years.
Over the whole period, population density in Kuwait peaked at 272.36 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 244.72 people per sq. km of land area, in 2021.
Kuwait ranks 45th of 216 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 19.41 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 21.6 people per sq. km of land area | +11.3% |
| 1963 | 24 people per sq. km of land area | +11.1% |
| 1964 | 26.55 people per sq. km of land area | +10.6% |
| 1965 | 29.25 people per sq. km of land area | +10.2% |
| 1966 | 32.13 people per sq. km of land area | +9.9% |
| 1967 | 35.25 people per sq. km of land area | +9.7% |
| 1968 | 38.59 people per sq. km of land area | +9.5% |
| 1969 | 42.06 people per sq. km of land area | +9.0% |
| 1970 | 45.4 people per sq. km of land area | +8.0% |
| 1971 | 48.55 people per sq. km of land area | +6.9% |
| 1972 | 51.65 people per sq. km of land area | +6.4% |
| 1973 | 54.86 people per sq. km of land area | +6.2% |
| 1974 | 58.27 people per sq. km of land area | +6.2% |
| 1975 | 62 people per sq. km of land area | +6.4% |
| 1976 | 66.15 people per sq. km of land area | +6.7% |
| 1977 | 70.6 people per sq. km of land area | +6.7% |
| 1978 | 75.21 people per sq. km of land area | +6.5% |
| 1979 | 79.88 people per sq. km of land area | +6.2% |
| 1980 | 84.44 people per sq. km of land area | +5.7% |
| 1981 | 88.86 people per sq. km of land area | +5.2% |
| 1982 | 93.29 people per sq. km of land area | +5.0% |
| 1983 | 97.88 people per sq. km of land area | +4.9% |
| 1984 | 102.17 people per sq. km of land area | +4.4% |
| 1985 | 106.3 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1986 | 110.69 people per sq. km of land area | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 115.21 people per sq. km of land area | +4.1% |
| 1988 | 119.79 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 124.44 people per sq. km of land area | +3.9% |
| 1990 | 94.55 people per sq. km of land area | -24.0% |
| 1991 | 75.84 people per sq. km of land area | -19.8% |
| 1992 | 91.75 people per sq. km of land area | +21.0% |
| 1993 | 93.84 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 93.4 people per sq. km of land area | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 94.36 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 97.1 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 100.32 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 103.5 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 106.62 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 109.69 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 112.69 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 115.6 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 118.4 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 121.06 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 125.52 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 132.7 people per sq. km of land area | +5.7% |
| 2007 | 140.73 people per sq. km of land area | +6.1% |
| 2008 | 148.79 people per sq. km of land area | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 156.87 people per sq. km of land area | +5.4% |
| 2010 | 165.17 people per sq. km of land area | +5.3% |
| 2011 | 175.8 people per sq. km of land area | +6.4% |
| 2012 | 187.27 people per sq. km of land area | +6.5% |
| 2013 | 196.85 people per sq. km of land area | +5.1% |
| 2014 | 205.72 people per sq. km of land area | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 215.18 people per sq. km of land area | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 224.7 people per sq. km of land area | +4.4% |
| 2017 | 233.15 people per sq. km of land area | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 242.62 people per sq. km of land area | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 249.29 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 246.93 people per sq. km of land area | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 244.72 people per sq. km of land area | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 257.56 people per sq. km of land area | +5.2% |
| 2023 | 272.36 people per sq. km of land area | +5.7% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 272.36 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for high income countries, which is 145.56 people per sq. km of land area, 1.9× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 272.36 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 115.06 people per sq. km of land area, 2.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 29.87 people per sq. km of land area | 19.41 people per sq. km of land area | 42.06 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 61.26 people per sq. km of land area | 45.4 people per sq. km of land area | 79.88 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 104.31 people per sq. km of land area | 84.44 people per sq. km of land area | 124.44 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 95.13 people per sq. km of land area | 75.84 people per sq. km of land area | 106.62 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 128.21 people per sq. km of land area | 109.69 people per sq. km of land area | 156.87 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 209.58 people per sq. km of land area | 165.17 people per sq. km of land area | 249.29 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 255.39 people per sq. km of land area | 244.72 people per sq. km of land area | 272.36 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 42 United States Virgin Islands 299.76 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 43 Saint Lucia 293.91 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 44 United Kingdom 283.25 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 46 Gambia 266.58 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 47 Trinidad and Tobago 266.57 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 48 Jamaica 262.21 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Kuwait
- Population in the largest city 70.0% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 62.35 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.6999 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 3.40 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 1.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 185.06 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 3.40 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 1.35 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 33.99 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Kuwait?
- Population density in Kuwait was 272.36 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 272.36 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 244.72 people per sq. km of land area in 2021.
- How does Kuwait rank for population density?
- Kuwait ranks 45th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.