Kuwait
Asia Β· Capital: Kuwait City
How it is run: Kuwait is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Kuwait is home to 4.9 million people in Western Asia, where people speak Arabic.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
4.9 million people
That is about 601 people out of every million on Earth (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
17,818 kmΒ²
About the size of a small US state such as Vermont or New Hampshire.
ποΈ How crowded
About 273 people per square kilometre β busy towns with countryside in between.
π Size in its region
39th most people in Asia
40th largest by land in Asia.
π£οΈ Official languages
Arabic
π° Money
Kuwaiti dinar (Ψ―.Ω)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
84.6 years on average
One of the healthier countries β good hospitals and clean water make a big difference.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$32,312
An upper-middle-income country: growing cities, and more families joining the middle class.
π’ Living in cities
100% of people
Mostly a city country β think buses, trains and apartment blocks.
π Kids under 15
18% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+965
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.kw
π§ People here are called
Kuwaiti
π·οΈ Name at home
Ψ§ΩΩΩΩΨͺ
Also written: State of Kuwait, Dawlat al-Kuwait.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Asia and the Pacific Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Kuwait touches 2 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Kuwait
French
KoweΓ―t
Arabic
Ψ§ΩΩΩΩΨͺ
Chinese
η§ε¨ηΉ
Japanese
γ―γ¦γ§γΌγ
Russian
ΠΡΠ²Π΅ΠΉΡ
Portuguese
Kuwait
German
Kuwait
Put it in perspective π
- India β the most populated country in Asia β has about 300.9Γ as many people as Kuwait.
- Kuwait covers roughly 170 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Kuwait lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 2,433 km.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Kuwait sits in the temperate zone, the belt where most of the world's farms and big cities are.
π·οΈ Official name
State of Kuwait
ποΈ Capital
Kuwait City
π Region
Asia Β· Western Asia
π€ Country code
KW
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Kuwait π
π§ Where on the map
29.5Β° N, 45.8Β° E
π Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC+3 β when it is noon in London it is about 15:00 in Kuwait City.
- Kuwait is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
- Kuwait is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
- Kuwait sits in the temperate zone, the belt where most of the world's farms and big cities are.
- Kuwait sits in Western Asia, in the northern and eastern half of the globe.
- Kuwait is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Kuwait has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Kuwait can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Kuwait spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Kuwait?
Kuwait City
Which money do people spend in Kuwait?
Kuwaiti dinar (Ψ―.Ω)
How many countries share a land border with Kuwait?
2 β Iraq, Saudi Arabia.
Roughly how many people live in Kuwait?
4.9 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.