PEOPLE
Over 90% of the population lives within a 500-square kilometer area surrounding Kuwait City and its harbor. Although the majority of people residing in the State of Kuwait are of Arab origin, fewer than half are originally from the Arabian Peninsula. The discovery of oil in 1938 drew many Arabs from nearby states. Following the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation in 1991, the Kuwaiti Government undertook a serious effort to reduce the expatriate population by specifically limiting the entry of workers from nations whose leaders had supported Iraq during the Gulf War. Kuwait later abandoned this policy, and it currently has a sizable foreign labor force (approximately 68% of the total population is non-Kuwaiti).
Of the country's total population of 3.4 million, approximately 85% are Muslims, including nearly all of its 1.05 million citizens. While the national census does not distinguish between Sunni and Shi'a adherents, approximately 70-75% of citizens, including the ruling family, belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. The remaining Kuwaiti citizens, with the exception of about 100-200 Christians and a few Baha'is, are Shi'a. The expatriate Christian population is estimated to be more than 400,000 residents. There also are communities of Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs.
Kuwait's 93.3% literacy rate, one of the Arab world's highest, is the result of extensive government support for the education system. Public school education, including Kuwait University, is free, but access is restricted for foreign residents. The government sponsors the foreign study of qualified students abroad for degrees not offered at Kuwait University. In 2004, approximately 1,720 Kuwaitis were enrolled in U.S. universities, down 6.8% from the previous year.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Kuwaiti(s).
Population (June 2008 est.): 3,399,637 including approximately 1.05 million Kuwaiti citizens and 2.34 million non-Kuwaiti nationals.
Annual growth rate (2008 est.): 3.591%.
Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%.
Religion: Muslim estimated 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30% among Kuwaitis), with sizable Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, and Sikh communities.
Languages: Arabic (official), English is widely spoken.
Education: Compulsory from ages 6-14; free at all levels for Kuwaitis, including higher education. Adult literacy (age 15 and over)--93.3% for the total population (male 94.4%, female 91%) (2005 census).
Health: Infant mortality rate (2008 est.)--9.22 deaths/1,000 live births. Life expectancy (2008 est.)--76.38 yrs. male, 78.73 yrs. female.
Work force (2007 est.): 2.093 million (76% male; 24% female; 20% Kuwaiti citizens).
