MigrantoKuwaiti Diaspora
167.9K Kuwaitis live abroad — 3% of the population of Kuwait
Kuwaiti diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 61% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| UAE | 63192 |
| Palestine | 19583 |
| Canada | 18999 |
| Turkey | 15838 |
| Libya | 12185 |
| Australia | 8304 |
| India | 7034 |
| Qatar | 6941 |
| Bahrain | 6371 |
| Sri Lanka | 1772 |
| Denmark | 1516 |
| Algeria | 1215 |
| Egypt | 1064 |
| Italy | 747 |
| Norway | 546 |
| Hungary | 448 |
| Iraq | 409 |
| Bulgaria | 312 |
| Malta | 295 |
| Greece | 279 |
| Finland | 259 |
| Cyprus | 243 |
| Slovakia | 99 |
| Venezuela | 63 |
| Luxembourg | 54 |
| Mauritania | 35 |
| Slovenia | 14 |
| Estonia | 12 |
| Bolivia | 6 |
| Iceland | 5 |
| Latvia | 5 |
| Lithuania | 5 |
| Liechtenstein | 0 |
By region
67% of the diaspora lives in the Middle East
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Key facts
The Kuwaiti diaspora in numbers
Most Kuwaitis abroad live in the UAE
38% of the diaspora lives in the UAE, while the next country accounts for just 12%.
The diaspora is more concentrated than in 1990
The largest country's share rose from 26% to 38%, and today that country is UAE.
The share of the diaspora living in Asia has declined since 1990
22.8% of the diaspora lived in Asia in 1990, compared with 5.2% today.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
3 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Sri Lanka, Bulgaria, Malta. Sri Lanka climbed from outside the top 20 to #10.
Kuwaiti diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 64245 |
| 1995 | 70228 |
| 2000 | 79931 |
| 2005 | 87761 |
| 2010 | 117370 |
| 2015 | 134398 |
| 2020 | 149927 |
| 2024 | 167850 |
Largest communities over time
Kuwaitis living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | UAE | Palestine | Canada | Turkey | Libya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 13052 | 16702 | 2145 | 286 | 6005 |
| 1995 | 16639 | 16322 | 4274 | 286 | 6919 |
| 2000 | 21036 | 15942 | 8111 | 286 | 7947 |
| 2005 | 25836 | 15902 | 10338 | 658 | 8759 |
| 2010 | 42191 | 17624 | 12987 | 1054 | 9613 |
| 2015 | 53137 | 18541 | 15773 | 1450 | 10763 |
| 2020 | 55654 | 19605 | 17395 | 9361 | 11527 |
| 2024 | 63192 | 19583 | 18999 | 15838 | 12185 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Kuwaitis in each country has changed since the selected year
Kuwaitis among immigrants in other countries
Where Kuwaitis make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Kuwaitis live outside Kuwait?
Around 167.9K Kuwaitis live abroad, the world's #137 largest diaspora.
Where do most Kuwaitis abroad live?
Most Kuwaitis live in UAE, Palestine and Canada — these three countries account for about 61% of all Kuwaitis living abroad.
Which country has the largest Kuwaiti population outside Kuwait?
UAE is home to the largest Kuwaiti community abroad — 63.2K people, about 38% of all Kuwaitis living abroad.
What share of the population of Kuwait lives abroad?
About 3% of the population of Kuwait lives abroad — that's 167.9K out of a total population of 4.9M.
Is the Kuwaiti diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Kuwaitis living abroad has grown from 134.4K to 167.9K, about 25%.
Where does the data on the Kuwaiti diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Kuwait who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Kuwait
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