Population: 1 913 285 (July 1998 est.)

note: includes 1 168 185 non-nationals (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 32% (male 338 933; female 279 087)

15-64 years: 66% (male 811 713; female 444 679)

65 years and over: 2% (male 23 642; female 15 231) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 4.1% (1998 est.)

note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of expatriates

Birth rate: 20.97 births/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 2.29 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 22.31 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.21 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.82 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.55 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 10.74 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 76.78 years

male: 74.76 years

female: 78.91 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.44 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Kuwaiti(s)

adjective: Kuwaiti

Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 45% other Arab 35% South Asian 9% Iranian 4% other 7%

Religions: Muslim 85% (Sunni 45% Shi'a 40%) Christian Hindu Parsi and other 15%

Languages: Arabic (official) English widely spoken

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 78.6%

male: 82.2%

female: 74.9% (1995 est.)