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Country comparison

Kuwait Saudi Arabia

How do Kuwait and Saudi Arabia compare on area, population, economy and living standards? Every figure below comes from open data, computed at build time.

Kuwait vs Saudi Arabia at a glance

Kuwait vs Saudi Arabia in the world: GDP per capita

GDP per capita log axis

GDP per capita across 168 countries with data: Kuwait at $32,312, Saudi Arabia at $34,537, world median $6,834, logarithmic axis. Median $6,834 Kuwait · $32,312 Saudi Arabia · $34,537

Every dot is one country with data — the two highlighted dots are these countries; the dashed line marks the world median. Wide-range metrics use a logarithmic axis (tagged).

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KuwaitSaudi Arabia — Kuwait's GDP per capita is about 94% of Saudi Arabia's.

MetricKuwaitSaudi ArabiaA vs B
Population & land
Population4.9M (2025)37M (2025)13%
Population growth-0.7% (2025)4.6% (2025)N/A
Urban population share100.0% (2025)84.6% (2025)1.2×
Population aged 65+3.2% (2025)3.1% (2025)1.0×
Fertility rate1.6 (2024)2.3 (2024)68%
Birth rate10.0‰ (2024)16.5‰ (2024)61%
Death rate1.5‰ (2024)2.3‰ (2024)65%
Net migration42.8K (2025)119.7K (2025)36%
Surface area17,820 km² (2023)2,149,690 km² (2023)1%
Population densityderived273/km² (2025)17.2/km² (2025)16×
Economy
GDP (total)$157.2B (2025)$1.3T (2025)12%
GDP per capita$32,312 (2025)$34,537 (2025)94%
GNI per capita$41,110 (2024)$36,070 (2025)1.1×
GDP growth (annual)2.7% (2025)4.5% (2025)61%
Inflation rate2.4% (2025)2.1% (2025)1.1×
Unemployment rate2.2% (2025)3.0% (2025)72%
Gini indexN/AN/AN/A
Poverty rate ($2.15/day)N/AN/AN/A
Trade & industry
Exports share of GDP55.8% (2024)29.7% (2025)1.9×
Imports share of GDP38.2% (2024)28.2% (2025)1.4×
Agriculture share of GDP0.5% (2025)2.6% (2025)20%
Manufacturing share of GDP7.7% (2025)15.8% (2025)49%
International tourist arrivals2.2M (2020)20.3M (2019)11%
Tourism receipts$524M (2020)$6B (2020)9%
Health & education
Life expectancy84.6 years (2024)79.0 years (2024)1.1×
Infant mortality7.0‰ (2024)4.7‰ (2024)1.5×
Under-five mortality8.1‰ (2024)6.0‰ (2024)1.3×
DPT immunization99.0% (2024)97.0% (2024)1.0×
Hospital beds2.3 per 1,000 (2020)2.4 per 1,000 (2023)97%
Health spending share of GDP5.0% (2023)5.7% (2023)87%
Secondary school enrollment95.4% (2015)110.7% (2024)86%
Education spending share of GDP6.4% (2024)4.5% (2023)1.4×
Society & living
Human Development Index0.852 (2023)0.900 (2023)95%
Internet users100.0% (2025)100.0% (2024)1.0×
Mobile subscriptions167.7 per 100 (2023)159.5 per 100 (2024)1.1×
Fixed broadband1.0 per 100 (2023)44.1 per 100 (2024)2%
Electricity access100.0% (2024)100.0% (2024)1.0×
Environment & security
CO₂ emissions per capita23.7 t (2024)18.5 t (2024)1.3×
CO₂ emissions (total)derived116 Mt (2024)653 Mt (2024)18%
Renewable electricity share0.3% (2021)0.1% (2021)4.1×
Renewable energy consumption0.1% (2021)0.1% (2021)1.0×
Forest area0.4% (2023)0.5% (2023)77%
Agricultural land8.4% (2023)80.8% (2023)10%
Arable land0.4% (2023)1.6% (2023)28%
PM2.5 exposure62.3 µg/m³ (2023)73.5 µg/m³ (2023)85%
Military spending4.8% (2024)7.3% (2024)66%

Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the displayed surface area (World Bank surface-area figures where available) — so it can differ from the World Bank's own land-area-based density.

Kuwait

Capital
Kuwait City
Languages
Arabic
Currencies
KWD
Subregion
Western Asia

Saudi Arabia

Capital
Riyadh
Languages
Arabic
Currencies
SAR
Subregion
Western Asia

Kuwait vs Saudi Arabia in five metrics

Horizontal bar chart comparing Kuwait and Saudi Arabia on area, population, GDP, GDP per capita and life expectancy; the longer bar is the larger value within each metric. Kuwait Saudi Arabia Surface area (2023) 17,820 km² 2,149,690 km² Population (2025) 4.9M 37M GDP (total) (2025) $157.2B $1.3T GDP per capita (2025) $32,312 $34,537 Life expectancy (2024) 84.6 years 79.0 years

Full metric comparison

Metric Kuwait Saudi Arabia A vs B
Population & land
Population 4.9M (2025) 37M (2025) 13%
Population growth -0.7% (2025) 4.6% (2025) N/A
Urban population share 100.0% (2025) 84.6% (2025) 1.2×
Population aged 65+ 3.2% (2025) 3.1% (2025) 1.0×
Fertility rate 1.6 (2024) 2.3 (2024) 68%
Birth rate 10.0‰ (2024) 16.5‰ (2024) 61%
Death rate 1.5‰ (2024) 2.3‰ (2024) 65%
Net migration 42.8K (2025) 119.7K (2025) 36%
Surface area 17,820 km² (2023) 2,149,690 km² (2023) 1%
Population density derived 273/km² (2025) 17.2/km² (2025) 16×
Economy
GDP (total) $157.2B (2025) $1.3T (2025) 12%
GDP per capita $32,312 (2025) $34,537 (2025) 94%
GNI per capita $41,110 (2024) $36,070 (2025) 1.1×
GDP growth (annual) 2.7% (2025) 4.5% (2025) 61%
Inflation rate 2.4% (2025) 2.1% (2025) 1.1×
Unemployment rate 2.2% (2025) 3.0% (2025) 72%
Gini index N/A N/A N/A
Poverty rate ($2.15/day) N/A N/A N/A
Trade & industry
Exports share of GDP 55.8% (2024) 29.7% (2025) 1.9×
Imports share of GDP 38.2% (2024) 28.2% (2025) 1.4×
Agriculture share of GDP 0.5% (2025) 2.6% (2025) 20%
Manufacturing share of GDP 7.7% (2025) 15.8% (2025) 49%
International tourist arrivals 2.2M (2020) 20.3M (2019) 11%
Tourism receipts $524M (2020) $6B (2020) 9%
Health & education
Life expectancy 84.6 years (2024) 79.0 years (2024) 1.1×
Infant mortality 7.0‰ (2024) 4.7‰ (2024) 1.5×
Under-five mortality 8.1‰ (2024) 6.0‰ (2024) 1.3×
DPT immunization 99.0% (2024) 97.0% (2024) 1.0×
Hospital beds 2.3 per 1,000 (2020) 2.4 per 1,000 (2023) 97%
Health spending share of GDP 5.0% (2023) 5.7% (2023) 87%
Secondary school enrollment 95.4% (2015) 110.7% (2024) 86%
Education spending share of GDP 6.4% (2024) 4.5% (2023) 1.4×
Society & living
Human Development Index 0.852 (2023) 0.900 (2023) 95%
Internet users 100.0% (2025) 100.0% (2024) 1.0×
Mobile subscriptions 167.7 per 100 (2023) 159.5 per 100 (2024) 1.1×
Fixed broadband 1.0 per 100 (2023) 44.1 per 100 (2024) 2%
Electricity access 100.0% (2024) 100.0% (2024) 1.0×
Environment & security
CO₂ emissions per capita 23.7 t (2024) 18.5 t (2024) 1.3×
CO₂ emissions (total) derived 116 Mt (2024) 653 Mt (2024) 18%
Renewable electricity share 0.3% (2021) 0.1% (2021) 4.1×
Renewable energy consumption 0.1% (2021) 0.1% (2021) 1.0×
Forest area 0.4% (2023) 0.5% (2023) 77%
Agricultural land 8.4% (2023) 80.8% (2023) 10%
Arable land 0.4% (2023) 1.6% (2023) 28%
PM2.5 exposure 62.3 µg/m³ (2023) 73.5 µg/m³ (2023) 85%
Military spending 4.8% (2024) 7.3% (2024) 66%

Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the displayed surface area (World Bank surface-area figures where available) — so it can differ from the World Bank's own land-area-based density.

Reference facts

Metric Kuwait Saudi Arabia
Capital Kuwait City Riyadh
Languages Arabic Arabic
Currencies KWD SAR
Subregion Western Asia Western Asia

Frequently asked questions

Which is bigger, Kuwait or Saudi Arabia?

Kuwait's surface area is smaller: about 1% of Saudi Arabia's (17,820 km² vs 2,149,690 km²).

Which has a larger population, Kuwait or Saudi Arabia?

Kuwait's population is smaller: about 13% of Saudi Arabia's (4.9M vs 37M).

Which economy is larger, Kuwait or Saudi Arabia?

Kuwait's GDP (total) is smaller: about 12% of Saudi Arabia's ($157.2B vs $1.3T).

Which has a higher GDP per capita, Kuwait or Saudi Arabia?

Kuwait's GDP per capita is smaller: about 94% of Saudi Arabia's ($32,312 vs $34,537).

Open the interactive compare tool with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia preselected

See Kuwait and Saudi Arabia's true size on a drag-and-drop map →

Distance between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia →

Kuwait country profile: key metrics vs world median →

Saudi Arabia country profile: key metrics vs world median →

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Data & method

Indicators: World Bank Open Data, 43 indicators — CC BY 4.0 © World Bank — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; Surface area (sq. km) — CC BY 4.0 © World Bank — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; Human Development Index — CC BY 3.0 IGO © United Nations Development Programme — https://hdr.undp.org/terms-use

Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:110m (public domain); surface areas follow the World Bank AG.SRF.TOTL.K2 figures, with mledoze/countries (or a measured Natural Earth boundary, marked †) only where World Bank coverage is missing.

Reference facts (capital, languages, currencies, subregion): mledoze/countries (ODbL).