Religion in Kuwait

Kuwait is a country in the Middle East where many people follow different religions. The most common religion is Islam, with most citizens being Muslim. Islam is also the official religion of Kuwait.

Besides Islam, there are people who follow Christianity, Hindu, Buddhist, and Baháʼí beliefs. Many people living and working in Kuwait come from other countries and have their own religious traditions.

Religions help shape the culture, traditions, and daily life for many people in Kuwait, making it an interesting place to learn about different ways people live and believe.

Islam

Main article: Islam in Kuwait

Kuwait's official religion is a type of Islam called Maliki Sunni Islam. Most Kuwaiti citizens who are Muslim belong to this group. There are also many Shia Muslims living in Kuwait, along with a few other smaller Muslim groups. The rulers of Kuwait, known as the Al Sabah family, follow the Maliki school of Sunni Islam.

In 2019, over one million people living in Kuwait who were not citizens were also Muslim. Because Kuwait does not count people's specific Muslim beliefs in its official records, numbers about Sunni and Shia groups change over time. Some years, experts thought there were more Sunni Muslims, and other years they thought there were more Shia Muslims among citizens. Recently, it was estimated that about 70% of Muslims in Kuwait are Sunni, with the rest being Shia.

Christianity

Main article: Christianity in Kuwait

Christianity is a small part of life in Kuwait. In 2020, about 289 Christian citizens lived there. Kuwait is special because, along with Bahrain, it is the only country in the GCC region where local Christians can be citizens. Among the people who are not citizens, around 837,585 are Christians, making up about 17.93% of the population as of December 31, 2020.

The government allows several Christian churches to operate, including the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church, the National Evangelical Church Kuwait (Protestant), the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Greek Catholic (Melkite) Church, the Anglican Church, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are also smaller Christian groups that are not officially recognized by the government, such as the Indian Orthodox, Mar Thoma, and Seventh-day Adventist Church. These groups can still worship privately. Some people in Kuwait believe in Christ but come from Muslim backgrounds, though many are not citizens. A study from 2015 estimated that about 350 people in the country have these beliefs.

Baháʼí

In Kuwait, there are a few people who follow the Baháʼí Faith. Official counts from 2013 showed only 18 people in a group called "Other," but other reports say there were about 400 Baháʼís in Kuwait in 2022.

Judaism

Main article: History of the Jews in Kuwait

Before the 1950s, there were a few Jewish families living in Kuwait. However, by the 1980s, all of these families had moved away from the country.

Hinduism

Main article: Hinduism in Arab states

Kuwait is home to about 300,000 Hindus, though they are mostly not citizens of the country.

Buddhism

About 100,000 people who are not citizens of Kuwait follow the Buddhist faith. These individuals are mostly expatriates living in the country.

Sikhism

There are about 10,000 Sikhs living in Kuwait who are not citizens of the country.

Religion by Nationality (2020)

Conflicts

Kuwait has sometimes had disagreements because of different religious groups. The country's laws protect people's right to believe and practice their religion as long as it doesn't go against local customs. There are rules against trying to start fights or spread hate because of religion.

Sometimes, people have faced consequences for saying things that hurt others' religious feelings. For example, in 2022, someone was punished for making disrespectful comments online. The country works to balance letting people practice their faith with keeping peace among different groups.