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Kuwait - P4H Network
Current Health Expenditure (CHE) as % Gross Domestic Product (GDP)4.3%CHE/GDP
Out-of-pocket (OOPS) spending as % of Current Health Expenditure (CHE)11.5%OOP/CHE
Domestic General Government Health Expenditure (GGHE-D) as % General Government Expenditure (GGE)9.4%GGHE-D/GGE
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in constant (2020) US$ in millions (M), billions (B), or trillions (T)183BGDP (USD)
Population in thousands (K), millions (M) or billions (B)4.6MPopulation

Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy, with a parliamentary system of government. In 2023, the population of Kuwait was 4.3 million people, 70% of whom were expatriates. In 2022, the life expectancy at birth for Kuwaitis was 80 years old. In 2019, 74% of deaths in Kuwait were attributed to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs with communicable diseases and injuries attributing to 11% and 12% respectively. Kuwait’s per capita GDP in 2023 of US$ 33,730 makes it one of the world’s richest countries.

Kuwait provides universal health coverage through its National Health Service system, which also allows citizens to seek medical care without charge in public hospitals and even pays for health care abroad if the service is not available locally. Universal health care consists of primary, secondary and tertiary care, provided through a network of 102 primary healthcare centres, six general hospitals and 11 special hospitals. The private sector and oil companies operate private clinics and hospitals to cater to the rising demand of expatriates and affluent citizens.

A health system that provides financial protection

The health system in Kuwait has matured rapidly over the last 20 years, resulting in significant advancements in public health outcomes in the country. The Ministry of Health remains the main steward and financer of the health sector and is involved in planning, regulation, monitoring, delivery and resource allocation of health services for the population.
In 2022, current health expenditure (CHE) per capita in Kuwait was US$ 1700, representing 4.3% of GDP. Health expenditure from public sources accounted for 87.2% of health spending, out-of-pocket (OOP) spending accounted for 11.5%, and voluntary prepayments accounted for 1.2% of the CHE.
To effectively address the current health care challenges, Kuwait must transform its health care paradigm to emphasize comprehensive and holistic approaches, promoting policies that ensure healthy living and improved well-being for all citizens across all age groups.
DOCUMENT |

Costing of Primary Healthcare Arrangements in six Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
DOCUMENT |

Kuwait Health Systems Review 2018

Kuwait
DOCUMENT |

Kuwait National Development Plan 2020-2025

Kuwait