Kuwait

Broadcast media

state-owned TV broadcaster operates 4 networks and a satellite channel; several private TV broadcasters have emerged since 2003; satellite TV available with pan-Arab TV stations are especially popular; state-owned Radio Kuwait broadcasts on a number of channels in Arabic and English; first private radio station emerged in 2005; transmissions of at least 2 international radio broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet country code

.kw

Internet users

total: 2,219,972 | percent of population: 78.4% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Telephone system

general assessment: the quality of service is excellent | domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a 4G LTE mobile-cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well-supplied with pay telephones | international: country code - 965; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 6 (3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 1 Inmarsat - Atlantic Ocean, and 2 Arabsat) (2017)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 403,234 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 5,392,806 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 190 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 100

Agriculture - products

fish

Budget

revenues: $47.46 billion | expenditures: $59.59 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-11% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 201

Central bank discount rate

2.5% (31 December 2016) | 1.25% (31 December 2010) | country comparison to the world: 111

Commercial bank prime lending rate

4.5% (31 December 2016 est.) | 4.3% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 150

Current account balance

$-4.997 billion (2016 est.) | $3.742 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 169

Debt - external

$38.34 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $35.59 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 71

Economy - overview

Kuwait has a geographically small, but wealthy, relatively open economy with crude oil reserves of about 102 billion barrels - more than 6% of world reserves. Kuwaiti officials plan to increase production to 4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2020. Petroleum accounts for over half of GDP, 92% of export revenues, and 90% of government income. | In 2015, Kuwait, for the first time in 15 years, realized a budget deficit after decades of high oil prices; in 2016, the deficit grew to 16.5% of GDP. Kuwaiti authorities announced cuts to fuel subsidies in August 2016, provoking outrage among the public and National Assembly, and the Amir dissolved the government for the seventh time in ten years. Despite Kuwait’s dependence on oil, the government has cushioned itself against the impact of lower oil prices, by saving annually at least 10% of government revenue in the Fund for Future Generations. | Kuwait has failed to diversify its economy or bolster the private sector, because of a poor business climate, a large public sector that employs about 76% of citizens, and an acrimonious relationship between the National Assembly and the executive branch that has stymied most economic reforms. The Kuwaiti Government has made little progress on its long-term economic development plan first passed in 2010. While the government planned to spend up to $104 billion over four years to diversify the economy, attract more investment, and boost private sector participation in the economy, many of the projects did not materialize because of an uncertain political situation or delays in awarding contracts.

Exchange rates

Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US dollar - | 0.3022 (2016 est.) | 0.3022 (2016 est.) | 0.3009 (2014 est.) | 0.2845 (2013 est.) | 0.28 (2012 est.)

Exports

$46.26 billion (2016 est.) | $54.11 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 49

Exports - commodities

oil and refined products, fertilizers

Exports - partners

South Korea 16.8%, China 14.4%, Japan 9.6%, India 9.2%, US 7.5%, Singapore 5.6% (2016)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate)

$110.9 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$303.7 billion (2016 est.) | $292.6 billion (2015 est.) | $283.6 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 55

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 47.6% | government consumption: 27.3% | investment in fixed capital: 30.2% | investment in inventories: 0% | exports of goods and services: 50.1% | imports of goods and services: -55.3% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 0.4% | industry: 59.6% | services: 40% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$71,900 (2016 est.) | $72,100 (2015 est.) | $72,600 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 11

GDP - real growth rate

2.5% (2016 est.) | 2.1% (2015 est.) | 0.6% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 111

Gross national saving

25.1% of GDP (2016 est.) | 30.8% of GDP (2015 est.) | 50.2% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$30.82 billion (2016 est.) | $30.96 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 61

Imports - commodities

food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing

Imports - partners

China 14.1%, US 11.9%, UAE 8.3%, Japan 6.5%, Germany 6.2%, India 5.4%, Italy 5%, Saudi Arabia 4.4%, South Korea 4.4% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

1.2% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 139

Industries

petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water desalination, food processing, construction materials

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.5% (2016 est.) | 3.3% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 146

Labor force

2.612 million | note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 60% of the labor force (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: NA% | industry: NA% | services: NA%

Market value of publicly traded shares

$81.78 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $83.13 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $99.77 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

17.3% of GDP (2016 est.) | 9.2% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$31.13 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $28.37 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 49

Stock of broad money

$116.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $113.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$74.13 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $69.56 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 38

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$12.62 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $12.18 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Stock of domestic credit

$98.92 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $98.87 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 56

Stock of narrow money

$31.87 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $30.95 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 61

Taxes and other revenues

43.2% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 29

Unemployment rate

2.1% (2016 est.) | 3% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 31

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

107 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 38

Crude oil - exports

1.656 million bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 145

Crude oil - production

2.924 million bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Crude oil - proved reserves

101.5 billion bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 6

Electricity - consumption

54.11 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 46

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 157

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 183

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 191

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 168

Electricity - installed generating capacity

16 million kW (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 50

Electricity - production

63.84 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 46

Electricity access

population without electricity: 56,655 | electrification - total population: 98% | electrification - urban areas: 98% | electrification - rural areas: 93% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption

33.18 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 36

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 133

Natural gas - imports

4 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37

Natural gas - production

16.91 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.798 trillion cu m (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 21

Refined petroleum products - consumption

500,000 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35

Refined petroleum products - exports

400,000 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 20

Refined petroleum products - imports

11,900 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 137

Refined petroleum products - production

920,000 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 23

Area

total: 17,818 sq km | land: 17,818 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 158

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Coastline

499 km

Elevation

mean elevation: 108 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m | highest point: 3.6 km W. of Al-Salmi Border Post 300 m

Environment - current issues

limited natural freshwater resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection | signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping

Geographic coordinates

29 30 N, 45 45 E

Geography - note

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Irrigated land

105 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 475 km | border countries (2): Iraq 254 km, Saudi Arabia 221 km

Land use

agricultural land: 8.5% | arable land 0.6%; permanent crops 0.3%; permanent pasture 7.6% | forest: 0.4% | other: 91.1% (2011 est.)

Location

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year but are most common between March and August

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Population - distribution

densest settlement is along the Persian Gulf, particularly in Kuwait City and on Bubiyan Island; significant population threads extend south and west along highways that radiate from the capital, particularly in the southern half of the country

Terrain

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Administrative divisions

6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al 'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak al Kabir

Capital

name: Kuwait City | geographic coordinates: 29 22 N, 47 58 E | time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Kuwait | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: not specified

Constitution

history: approved and promulgated 11 November 1962 | amendments: proposed by the amir or supported by at least one-third of the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds consent by the Assembly membership and promulgation by the amir; constitutional articles on the initiation, approval, and promulgation of general legislation cannot be amended (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: State of Kuwait | conventional short form: Kuwait | local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt | local short form: Al Kuwayt | etymology: the name derives from the capital city, which is from Arabic "al-Kuwayt" a diminutive of "kut" meaning "fortress encircled by water"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Lawrence R. SILVERMAN (since 5 October 2016) | embassy: Bayan 36302, Block 13, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City | mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880-9000 | telephone: [965] 2259-1001 | FAX: [965] 2538-6562

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM al-Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 10 October 2001) | chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702 | FAX: [1] (202) 966-8468 | consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Executive branch

chief of state: Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29 January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (born 25 June 1937) | head of government: Prime Minister JABIR AL-MUBARAK al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 30 November 2011); First Deputy Prime Minister SABAH Khaled al-Hamad al-Sabah; Deputy Prime Ministers al-KHALD al-Jarrah al-Sabah (since 4 August 2013), MUHAMMAD AL-KHALID al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 4 August 2013, Abd al-Muhsin al-MADAJ (since January 2014) | cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by the amir | elections/appointments: amir chosen from within the ruling family, confirmed by the National Assembly; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the amir

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side; colors and design are based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I; green represents fertile fields, white stands for purity, red denotes blood on Kuwaiti swords, black signifies the defeat of the enemy

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

19 June 1961 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CD, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, Paris Club (associate), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Constitutional Court (consists of 5 judges); Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (organized into several circuits, each with 5 judges) | judge selection and term of office: all Kuwaiti judges appointed by the Amir upon recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council, a consultative body comprised of Kuwaiti judges and Ministry of Justice officials | subordinate courts: High Court of Appeal; Court of First Instance; Summary Court

Legal system

mixed legal system consisting of English common law, French civil law, and Islamic religious law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (65 seats; 50 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 15 ex-officio members - cabinet ministers - appointed by the prime minister; members serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 26 November 2016 (next to be held in 2020) | election results: preliminary results - opposition groups including those linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists 24 seats, other 26

National anthem

name: "Al-Nasheed Al-Watani" (National Anthem) | lyrics/music: Ahmad MUSHARI al-Adwani/Ibrahim Nasir al-SOULA | note: adopted 1978; the anthem is only used on formal occasions

National holiday

National Day, 25 February (1950)

National symbol(s)

golden falcon; national colors: green, white, red, black

Political parties and leaders

none; while the formation of political parties is not permitted, they are not forbidden by law

Political pressure groups and leaders

Islamists; merchants; political groups; secular liberals and pro-governmental deputies; Shia activists; tribal groups

Suffrage

21 years of age and at least 20-year citizenship; universal; note - in early 2017, legislation was introduced to lower the voting age to 18 and instate suffrage for the armed forces and police

Background

Kuwait has been ruled by the AL-SABAH dynasty since the 18th century. The threat of Ottoman invasion in 1899 prompted Amir Mubarak AL-SABAH to seek protection from Britain, ceding foreign and defense responsibility to Britain until 1961, when the country attained its independence. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. The AL-SABAH family returned to power in 1991 and established one of the most independent legislatures in the Arab World. The country witnessed the historic election in 2009 of four women to its National Assembly. Amid the 2010-11 uprisings and protests across the Arab world, stateless Arabs, known as bidoon, staged small protests in early 2011 demanding citizenship, jobs, and other benefits available to Kuwaiti nationals. Youth activist groups' repeated rallies in 2011 for the dismissal of a prime minister seen as being corrupt, ultimately led to his resignation in late 2011. Demonstrations renewed in late 2012 in response to an Amiri decree amending the electoral law. The opposition, led by a coalition of Sunni Islamists, tribalists, some liberals, and myriad youth groups, largely boycotted legislative elections in 2012 and 2013, which ushered in a legislature more amenable to the government's agenda. However, the opposition, expressing strong opposition to the government’s fiscal reforms, participated in the November 2016 National Assembly and won almost half of the positions. Since coming to power in 2006, the Amir has dissolved the National Assembly on seven occasions (the Constitutional Court annulled the Assembly in June 2012 and again in June 2013) and shuffled the cabinet over a dozen times, usually citing political stagnation and gridlock between the legislature and the government.

Military branches

Kuwaiti Land Forces (KLF), Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya; includes Kuwaiti Air Defense Force, KADF), Kuwaiti National Guard (KNG) (2013)

Military expenditures

4.83% of GDP (2015) | 3.65% of GDP (2014) | 3.27% of GDP (2013) | 3.41% of GDP (2012) | 3.5% of GDP (2011) | country comparison to the world: 132

Military service age and obligation

17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription suspended (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 25.02% (male 374,259/female 345,104) | 15-24 years: 15.1% (male 238,451/female 195,700) | 25-54 years: 52.27% (male 948,902/female 554,050) | 55-64 years: 5.07% (male 82,366/female 63,505) | 65 years and over: 2.54% (male 33,561/female 39,524) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

19.2 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 84

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 120

Death rate

2.2 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 224

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 29.8 | youth dependency ratio: 27.1 | elderly dependency ratio: 2.7 | potential support ratio: 37.3 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 99% of population | rural: 99% of population | total: 99% of population | urban: 1% of population | rural: 1% of population | total: 1% of population (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups

Kuwaiti 31.3%, other Arab 27.9%, Asian 37.8%, African 1.9%, other 1.1% (includes European, North American, South American, and Australian) (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

<.1% (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<100 (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

<500 (2016 est.)

Health expenditures

3% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 182

Hospital bed density

2.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

total: 7 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 7.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 162

Languages

Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.2 years | male: 76.8 years | female: 79.6 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 95.7% | male: 96.4% | female: 94.5% (2016 est.)

Major urban areas - population

KUWAIT (capital) 2.779 million (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

4 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 179

Median age

total: 29.3 years | male: 30.4 years | female: 27.4 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 123

Nationality

noun: Kuwaiti(s) | adjective: Kuwaiti

Net migration rate

-2.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 170

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

37.9% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 11

Physicians density

1.95 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

2,875,422 (July 2017 est.) | note: Kuwait's Public Authority for Civil Information estimates the country's total population to be 4,183,658 for 2015, with immigrants accounting more than 69% | country comparison to the world: 139

Population distribution

densest settlement is along the Persian Gulf, particularly in Kuwait City and on Bubiyan Island; significant population threads extend south and west along highways that radiate from the capital, particularly in the southern half of the country

Population growth rate

1.46% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 80

Religions

Muslim (official) 76.7%, Christian 17.3%, other and unspecified 5.9% | note: represents the total population; about 69% of the population consists of immigrants (2013 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 100% of population | rural: 100% of population | total: 100% of population | urban: 0% of population | rural: 0% of population | total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 13 years | male: 13 years | female: 14 years (2013)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.08 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.22 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.72 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.31 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female | total population: 1.41 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.4 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 84

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 14.6% | male: N/A | female: N/A (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Urbanization

urban population: 98.4% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 2.29% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons: 93,000 (2016); note - Kuwait's 1959 Nationality Law defined citizens as persons who settled in the country before 1920 and who had maintained normal residence since then; one-third of the population, descendants of Bedouin tribes, missed the window of opportunity to register for nationality rights after Kuwait became independent in 1961 and were classified as bidun (meaning without); since the 1980s Kuwait's bidun have progressively lost their rights, including opportunities for employment and education, amid official claims that they are nationals of other countries who have destroyed their identification documents in hopes of gaining Kuwaiti citizenship; Kuwaiti authorities have delayed processing citizenship applications and labeled biduns as "illegal residents," denying them access to civil documentation, such as birth and marriage certificates

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Kuwait is a destination country for men and women subjected to forced labor and, to a lesser degree, forced prostitution; men and women migrate from South and Southeast Asia, Egypt, the Middle East, and increasingly Africa to work in Kuwait, most of them in the domestic service, construction, and sanitation sectors; although most of these migrants enter Kuwait voluntarily, upon arrival some are subjected to conditions of forced labor by their sponsors and labor agents, including debt bondage; Kuwait’s sponsorship law restricts workers’ movements and penalizes them for running away from abusive workplaces, making domestic workers particularly vulnerable to forced labor in private homes | tier rating: Tier 3 - Kuwait does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making sufficient efforts to do so; although investigations into visa fraud rings lead to the referral of hundreds of people for prosecution, including complicit officials, the government has not prosecuted or convicted any suspected traffickers; authorities made no effort to enforce the prohibition against withholding workers’ passports, as mandated under Kuwaiti law; punishment of forced labor cases was limited to shutting down labor recruitment firms, assessing fines, and ordering the return of withheld passports and the paying of back-wages; the government made progress in victims’ protection by opening a high-capacity shelter for runaway domestic workers but still lacks formal procedures to identify and refer victims to care services (2015)

Airports

7 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 168

Airports - with paved runways

total: 4 | over 3,047 m: 1 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 3 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | under 914 m: 2 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

9K (2016)

Heliports

4 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 34 | by type: bulk carrier 2, carrier 3, container 6, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 19 | registered in other countries: 45 (Bahamas 1, Bahrain 5, Comoros 1, Libya 1, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 2, Panama 12, Qatar 6, Saudi Arabia 4, UAE 10) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 83

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 3 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 31 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 3,655,366 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 275,777,666 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

gas 261 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi

Roadways

total: 6,608 km (2010) | country comparison to the world: 148