Life expectancy in Kuwait
Kuwait: Life expectancy was 80.4 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy in Kuwait, 1908–2023
Source: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy in Kuwait stood at 80.4 years. That is the highest value across all 75 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in Kuwait peaked at 80.4 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 26 years, in 1908.
That places Kuwait 53rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 75 years of available data.
Life expectancy in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 26 years | — |
| 1950 | 49.74 years | +91.3% |
| 1951 | 50.58 years | +1.7% |
| 1952 | 51.42 years | +1.7% |
| 1953 | 52.26 years | +1.6% |
| 1954 | 53.13 years | +1.7% |
| 1955 | 54.03 years | +1.7% |
| 1956 | 54.94 years | +1.7% |
| 1957 | 55.89 years | +1.7% |
| 1958 | 56.88 years | +1.8% |
| 1959 | 57.89 years | +1.8% |
| 1960 | 58.92 years | +1.8% |
| 1961 | 59.95 years | +1.8% |
| 1962 | 60.98 years | +1.7% |
| 1963 | 61.99 years | +1.7% |
| 1964 | 62.97 years | +1.6% |
| 1965 | 63.94 years | +1.5% |
| 1966 | 64.88 years | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 65.78 years | +1.4% |
| 1968 | 66.61 years | +1.3% |
| 1969 | 67.35 years | +1.1% |
| 1970 | 67.98 years | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 68.48 years | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 68.88 years | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 69.19 years | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 69.45 years | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 69.68 years | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 69.92 years | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 70.17 years | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 70.46 years | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 70.78 years | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 71.13 years | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 71.52 years | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 71.95 years | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 72.39 years | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 72.85 years | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 73.32 years | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 73.78 years | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 74.22 years | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 74.64 years | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 75.03 years | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 72.85 years | -2.9% |
| 1991 | 73.31 years | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 75.74 years | +3.3% |
| 1993 | 75.77 years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 75.73 years | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 75.66 years | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 75.6 years | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 75.56 years | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 75.61 years | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 75.72 years | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 75.87 years | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 76.04 years | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 76.19 years | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 76.3 years | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 76.39 years | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 76.46 years | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 76.55 years | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 76.69 years | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 76.89 years | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 77.17 years | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 77.5 years | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 77.86 years | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 78.23 years | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 78.58 years | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 78.93 years | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 79.22 years | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 79.52 years | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 79.73 years | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 79.9 years | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 80.02 years | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 78.25 years | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 77.62 years | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 78.79 years | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 80.4 years | +2.1% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 80.4 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 81 years, 99% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 80.4 years is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 76.51 years, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Life expectancy in Kuwait changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | +91.3% | 26 years | 49.74 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 26 years | 26 years | 26 years | 1 |
| 1950s | 53.68 years | 49.74 years | 57.89 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 63.34 years | 58.92 years | 67.35 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 69.5 years | 67.98 years | 70.78 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 73.08 years | 71.13 years | 75.03 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 75.16 years | 72.85 years | 75.77 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 76.46 years | 75.87 years | 77.17 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.95 years | 77.5 years | 80.02 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.77 years | 77.62 years | 80.4 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 50 Isle of Man 81 years compare
- 51 Costa Rica 80.8 years compare
- 52 Taiwan 80.56 years compare
- 54 Cayman Islands 80.36 years compare
- 55 Saint Martin (French part) 80.22 years compare
- 56 Faroe Islands 80.18 years compare
More health data for Kuwait
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.9259 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.41 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 287.2 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 107 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.9273 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0264 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.6875 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy in Kuwait?
- Life expectancy in Kuwait was 80.4 years in 2023, according to Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 80.4 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 26 years in 1908.
- How does Kuwait rank for life expectancy?
- Kuwait ranks 53rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy is the number of years the average person born in a certain year would live if they experienced the same chances of dying at each age as people did that year.