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Index / Peoples
  Kuwait /
Peoples
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Ethnic groups
Figures in 1000. |
Arabs
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2,200 |
80.0% |
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Kuwaitis
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1,250 |
45.0% |
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Bedouins
|
250 |
9.0% |
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Bidoon
|
120 |
4.5% |
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Egyptians
|
200 |
7.0% |
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Jordanians
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50 |
2.0% |
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Palestinians
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40 |
1.5% |
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Iraqis
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12 |
0.4% |
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Other
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550 |
20.0% |
South Asian
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250 |
9.0% |
Iranians
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90 |
3.3% |
Mahra
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20 |
0.7% |
Armenians
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2.5 |
0.1% |
Other
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200 |
7.0% |
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Inhabitants of Kuwait belong to three categories: nationals of Kuwait; inhabitants without any citizenship; and immigrants who easily can return to their homelands.
No matter how long a foreigner lives in Kuwait, he or she cannot obtain citizenship.
Natives of Kuwait are either citizens or Bidoon. Citizens are those who have ancestors that lived in larger settlements and living off the land. The Bidoon had as their ancestors fishermen living in smaller communities. The Bidoon appear (sources are conflicting) to be the true natives of Kuwait, living here before the first groups' ancestors arrived here in the early 18th century.
Minorities of Kuwait are largely Egyptians, Indians and Iranians, together with several other ethnic groups. A clear precentage of immigrants are men, making it 60% males to 40% females in the total population in Kuwait.
The Iranian population has a long history in Kuwait. Judging from most sources, Persians seem to dominate this group, but no definite information has been found for the preparation of this article (Iranians of neighbouring Iran constitute several peoples).
Before 1990, and the Gulf War, about 400,000 Palestinians lived and worked in Kuwait, but due to the Palestinian support of Iraq, their numbers today is considerably reduced. The numbers of Iraqis in Kuwait is also reduced, but more, the Iraqis living in Kuwait are largely political refugess of some kind.
In the early 1990's, "real" Kuwaitis represented 25% of the total population, but due to government programmes, the number of foreigners in Kuwait has been reduced while high birth rates has led to a growth in the Kuwaiti population. There is a clear anxiety in the Kuwaiti population about being outnumbered by foreigners, naturally motivated by the Gulf War, and the government is now concerned with keeping the number of foreigners below 50%.
© Copyright 1996-2009 LookLex Ltd. All rights reserved
By: Tore Kjeilen
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