Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · High income
Kuwait: the economy in numbers
Per person: $32,312, or $56,468 at purchasing power parity. Population: 4.87 million (2025).
$157B+2.7%real GDP growth, 2025
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #59 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: −16.7%.
GDP per capita
$32,312
2025 · #52 of 204
GDP per capita, PPP
$56,468
2025 · #44 of 197
Inflation
2.4%
2025 · IMF forecast 2026: 2.2%
Government debt
2.9%
2024 · % of GDP, general government
Population
4.87M
2025 · #127 of 217
Unemployment
2.2%
2025 · ILO estimate
Stock market capitalization
109.5%
2025 · % of GDP · $172B
Life expectancy
84.6 years
2024
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $19.5 billion in 1962, $157 billion in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $50,579 per person in 1962, $32,312 in 2025.
GDP per capitaGDP per capita, PPP (international $)
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 0.6% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1971: 18 of 55.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 2.17 times from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 13.0% in 1974.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 1991: 45.3% of GDP in 1991. IMF forecast for 2031: 37.8%.
Stock market capitalization, % of GDP
In 2025 listed domestic companies were worth $172 billion, or 109.5% of GDP.
Population
1960: 311,060 · 2025: 4.87 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 0.9% · 2025: 2.2%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 59.2 years · 2024: 84.6 years.
Exports of goods and services
1965: 67.7% · 2024: 55.8%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Stock market, % GDP | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 2.2%f | 1.9%f | 37.8%f | ||||||||
| 2030 | 2.3%f | 1.9%f | 36.5%f | ||||||||
| 2029 | 2.3%f | 2.1%f | 34.7%f | ||||||||
| 2028 | 11.5%f | 2.3%f | 31.8%f | ||||||||
| 2027 | 17.1%f | 2.4%f | 28.5%f | ||||||||
| 2026 | −16.7%f | 2.2%f | 26.6%f | ||||||||
| 2025 | $157B | $32,312 | $56,468 | 2.7% | 2.4% | 14.6%e | 4.87M | 2.2% | 109.5% | ||
| 2024 | $161B | $32,856 | $53,119 | −1.5% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 4.9M | 2.2% | 87.9% | 84.6 | 55.8% |
| 2023 | $165B | $34,092 | $53,083 | −1.6% | 3.6% | 3.1% | 4.85M | 2.1% | 79.3% | 83.2 | 57.7% |
| 2022 | $184B | $39,982 | $55,034 | 6.8% | 4.0% | 3.0% | 4.59M | 2.1% | 83.2% | 80.6 | 60.4% |
| 2021 | $148B | $34,019 | $50,652 | 1.7% | 3.4% | 7.2% | 4.36M | 3.0% | 92.1% | 78.7 | 51.7% |
| 2020 | $111B | $25,236 | $41,462 | −4.8% | 2.1% | 10.2% | 4.4M | 3.5% | 95.4% | 78.8 | 43.7% |
| 2019 | $141B | $31,708 | $50,703 | 2.3% | 1.1% | 10.5% | 4.44M | 2.2% | 83.9% | 82.0 | 52.1% |
| 2018 | $139B | $32,068 | $51,371 | 2.7% | 0.5% | 14.3% | 4.32M | 2.2% | 80.1 | 57.3% | |
| 2017 | $121B | $29,048 | $46,566 | −4.7% | 2.2% | 19.6% | 4.15M | 2.2% | 79.9 | 51.2% | |
| 2016 | $109B | $27,324 | $41,862 | 2.9% | 3.2% | 9.9% | 4.0M | 2.2% | 79.7 | 47.6% | |
| 2015 | $115B | $29,882 | $45,267 | 0.6% | 3.3% | 4.6% | 3.83M | 2.2% | 83.9% | 79.4 | 53.8% |
| 2014 | $163B | $44,369 | $68,337 | 0.5% | 2.9% | 3.4% | 3.67M | 2.9% | 79.1 | 68.5% | |
| 2013 | $174B | $49,651 | $76,813 | 1.1% | 2.7% | 3.1% | 3.51M | 2.5% | 78.7 | 70.9% | |
| 2012 | $174B | $52,155 | $82,090 | 6.6% | 3.3% | 3.6% | 3.34M | 2.2% | 78.4 | 74.7% | |
| 2011 | $154B | $49,170 | $79,037 | 9.6% | 4.8% | 4.6% | 3.13M | 2.1% | 78.1 | 73.2% | |
| 2010 | $115B | $39,212 | $75,184 | −2.4% | 4.5% | 6.2% | 2.94M | 1.8% | 77.7 | 66.7% | |
| 2009 | $106B | $37,907 | $80,110 | −7.1% | 4.6% | 6.7% | 2.8M | 1.6% | 77.4 | 59.4% | |
| 2008 | $147B | $55,585 | $90,337 | 2.5% | 10.6% | 5.4% | 2.65M | 1.8% | 77.2 | 66.8% | |
| 2007 | $115B | $45,709 | $91,435 | 6.0% | 5.5% | 7.0% | 2.51M | 1.5% | 77.0 | 63.4% | |
| 2006 | $102B | $42,947 | $89,075 | 7.5% | 3.1% | 7.8% | 2.36M | 1.3% | 105.4% | 76.9 | 65.5% |
| 2005 | $80.8B | $36,123 | $84,968 | 10.6% | 4.1% | 10.2% | 2.24M | 1.5% | 128.4% | 76.8 | 64.0% |
| 2004 | $59.4B | $27,552 | $77,227 | 10.2% | 1.2% | 13.9% | 2.16M | 1.7% | 122.7% | 76.7 | 56.9% |
| 2003 | $47.9B | $22,691 | $69,752 | 17.3% | 1.0% | 17.2% | 2.11M | 1.3% | 127.3% | 76.6 | 52.1% |
| 2002 | $38.1B | $18,513 | $59,713 | 3.0% | 0.9% | 21.3% | 2.06M | 1.1% | 82.5% | 76.5 | 44.6% |
| 2001 | $34.9B | $17,374 | $58,553 | 0.2% | 1.3% | 23.0% | 2.01M | 0.8% | 64.9% | 76.4 | 51.3% |
| 2000 | $37.7B | $19,296 | $58,703 | 4.7% | 1.8% | 21.4% | 1.95M | 0.8% | 51.6% | 76.2 | 56.5% |
| 1999 | $30.1B | $15,854 | $56,406 | −1.8% | 3.0% | 25.5% | 1.9M | 0.7% | 66.5% | 76.1 | 45.9% |
| 1998 | $25.9B | $14,067 | $58,344 | 3.7% | 0.1% | 25.6% | 1.84M | 0.7% | 87.7% | 76.0 | 43.9% |
| 1997 | $30.4B | $16,977 | $57,420 | 2.5% | 0.7% | 24.3% | 1.79M | 0.7% | 97.7% | 75.9 | 52.9% |
| 1996 | $31.5B | $18,201 | $56,913 | 0.6% | 3.6% | 26.5% | 1.73M | 0.7% | 60.1% | 75.9 | 52.3% |
| 1995 | $27.2B | $16,168 | $57,163 | 4.9% | 2.7% | 34.9% | 1.68M | 0.7% | 47.7% | 76.0 | 52.4% |
| 1994 | $24.8B | $14,930 | $53,946 | 8.4% | 2.5% | 37.7% | 1.66M | 0.7% | 40.1% | 76.0 | 50.9% |
| 1993 | $23.9B | $14,318 | $48,482 | 34.0% | 0.4% | 28.8% | 1.67M | 0.8% | 43.9% | 76.1 | 47.8% |
| 1992 | $19.9B | $12,146 | $36,149 | 82.8% | −0.5% | 27.9% | 1.63M | 0.9% | 76.0 | 40.5% | |
| 1991 | $11B | $8,147 | $23,390 | −41.0% | 9.1% | 45.3% | 1.35M | 0.9% | 73.9 | 16.9% | |
| 1990 | $18.4B | $10,938 | $30,763 | −26.2% | 9.8% | 1.68M | 73.4 | 44.9% | |||
| 1989 | $24.3B | $10,965 | 25.9% | 3.3% | 2.22M | 75.3 | 52.4% | ||||
| 1988 | $20.7B | $9,692 | −10.1% | 1.5% | 2.13M | 74.9 | 47.6% | ||||
| 1987 | $22.4B | $10,896 | 8.1% | 0.7% | 2.05M | 74.5 | 52.5% | ||||
| 1986 | $17.9B | $9,077 | 8.6% | 1.0% | 1.97M | 74.1 | 46.2% | ||||
| 1985 | $21.4B | $11,322 | −4.3% | 1.5% | 1.89M | 73.6 | 53.7% | ||||
| 1984 | $21.7B | $11,919 | 5.2% | 1.2% | 1.82M | 73.2 | 60.1% | ||||
| 1983 | $20.9B | $11,965 | 7.9% | 4.7% | 1.74M | 72.7 | 59.1% | ||||
| 1982 | $21.6B | $12,979 | −11.7% | 7.8% | 1.66M | 72.3 | 54.5% | ||||
| 1981 | $25.1B | $15,825 | −18.9% | 7.4% | 1.58M | 71.8 | 69.5% | ||||
| 1980 | $28.6B | $19,032 | −19.4% | 6.9% | 1.5M | 71.5 | 78.3% | ||||
| 1979 | $24.7B | $17,386 | 13.9% | 7.0% | 1.42M | 71.1 | 78.0% | ||||
| 1978 | $15.5B | $11,567 | 7.4% | 8.7% | 1.34M | 70.8 | 70.5% | ||||
| 1977 | $14.1B | $11,238 | −3.8% | 9.9% | 1.26M | 70.5 | 72.0% | ||||
| 1976 | $13.1B | $11,141 | 6.6% | 5.2% | 1.18M | 70.2 | 77.9% | ||||
| 1975 | $12B | $10,882 | −12.3% | 8.4% | 1.1M | 70.0 | 80.5% | ||||
| 1974 | $13B | $12,527 | −13.0% | 13.0% | 1.04M | 69.7 | 85.0% | ||||
| 1973 | $5.41B | $5,532 | −6.6% | 8.3% | 978K | 69.4 | 71.9% | ||||
| 1972 | $4.45B | $4,836 | 3.9% | 920K | 69.1 | 68.6% | |||||
| 1971 | $3.88B | $4,486 | 7.0% | 865K | 68.7 | 66.3% | |||||
| 1970 | $2.87B | $3,552 | 809K | 68.2 | 59.8% | ||||||
| 1969 | $2.77B | $3,695 | 749K | 67.6 | 63.5% | ||||||
| 1968 | $2.66B | $3,872 | 688K | 66.8 | 61.7% | ||||||
| 1967 | $2.44B | $3,887 | 628K | 66.0 | 59.5% | ||||||
| 1966 | $2.39B | $4,176 | 573K | 65.1 | 65.7% | ||||||
| 1965 | $2.1B | $4,024 | 521K | 64.2 | 67.7% | ||||||
| 1964 | $2.07B | $4,379 | 473K | 63.3 | |||||||
| 1963 | $1.9B | $4,445 | 428K | 62.3 | |||||||
| 1962 | $1.83B | $4,748 | 385K | 61.3 | |||||||
| 1961 | 346K | 60.2 | |||||||||
| 1960 | 311K | 59.2 |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast.
Nearby economies in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
Afghanistan · Algeria · Bahrain · Djibouti · Egypt · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Libya · Malta · Morocco · Oman · Pakistan · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Syria · Tunisia · United Arab Emirates · West Bank and Gaza · Yemen
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)