Primary education, pupils in Kuwait

Kuwait: Primary education, pupils was 265,113 in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
265,113
Change on year
down 4.4%
World rank
132nd
of 206 countries
All-time high
278,529
in 2018
All-time low
75,513
in 1971
Years of data
51
1971–2021

Primary education, pupils in Kuwait, 1971–2021

100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k300.0k197119962021

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Analysis

Kuwait recorded 265,113 for primary education, pupils in 2021.

The figure is down 4.4% on the previous year and up 18.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Kuwait peaked at 278,529 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 75,513, in 1971.

Kuwait ranks 132nd of 206 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.

Primary education, pupils in Kuwait, year by year

Annual values for Primary education, pupils in Kuwait, 1971 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1971 75,513
1972 81,671 +8.2%
1973 88,299 +8.1%
1974 94,039 +6.5%
1975 101,876 +8.3%
1976 111,820 +9.8%
1977 125,120 +11.9%
1978 135,479 +8.3%
1979 139,443 +2.9%
1980 145,626 +4.4%
1981 148,983 +2.3%
1982 154,772 +3.9%
1983 160,188 +3.5%
1984 165,696 +3.4%
1985 170,616 +3.0%
1986 172,975 +1.4%
1987 176,378 +2.0%
1988 181,607 +3.0%
1989 185,464 +2.1%
1990 189,560 +2.2%
1991 124,996 -34.1%
1992 114,641 -8.3%
1993 122,930 +7.2%
1994 129,956 +5.7%
1995 131,264 +1.0%
1996 141,841 +8.1%
1997 143,286 +1.0%
1998 142,308 -0.7%
1999 139,691 -1.8%
2000 140,182 +0.4%
2001 141,419 +0.9%
2002 148,712 +5.2%
2003 154,056 +3.6%
2004 158,271 +2.7%
2005 202,826 +28.2%
2006 203,423 +0.3%
2007 211,576 +4.0%
2008 208,608 -1.4%
2009 210,665 +1.0%
2010 213,733 +1.5%
2011 223,688 +4.7%
2012 230,280 +2.9%
2013 242,069 +5.1%
2014 252,585 +4.3%
2015 262,627 +4.0%
2016 269,789 +2.7%
2017 273,823 +1.5%
2018 278,529 +1.7%
2019 274,920 -1.3%
2020 277,437 +0.9%
2021 265,113 -4.4%

Kuwait compared with similar countries

  • Kuwait's 265,113 is above the median for high income countries, which is 236,668, 1.1× the median. (78 countries reporting)
  • Kuwait's 265,113 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.12 million, 24% of the median. (23 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Primary education, pupils 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.

YearChange FromTo
1991 -34.1% 189,560 124,996
2005 +28.2% 158,271 202,826

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 105,918 75,513 139,443 9
1980s 166,230 145,626 185,464 10
1990s 138,047 114,641 189,560 10
2000s 177,974 140,182 211,576 10
2010s 252,204 213,733 278,529 10
2020s 271,275 265,113 277,437 2

Countries ranked near Kuwait

  1. 129 Uruguay 287,527 compare
  2. 130 Guinea-Bissau 278,890 compare
  3. 131 Gabon 269,687 compare
  4. 133 Serbia 251,941 compare
  5. 134 Slovakia 244,806 compare
  6. 135 Singapore 238,816 compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for Kuwait

All data for Kuwait →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary education, pupils in Kuwait?
Primary education, pupils in Kuwait was 265,113 in 2021, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Kuwait?
The highest recorded value was 278,529 in 2018.
What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Kuwait?
The lowest recorded value was 75,513 in 1971.
How does Kuwait rank for primary education, pupils?
Kuwait ranks 132nd out of 206 countries with data for 2021.
Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Kuwait?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Kuwait data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Primary education, pupils in Kuwait. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/primary-education-pupils/kuwait/

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About this data

Indicator
Primary education, pupils
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
251 places, 11,297 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.