Political Rights Rating in Kuwait
Kuwait: Political Rights Rating was 6 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
6
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
44th
of 199 countries
All-time high
7
in 1990
All-time low
4
in 1972
Years of data
53
1972–2025
Political Rights Rating in Kuwait, 1972–2025
Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, political rights rating in Kuwait stood at 6.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, political rights rating in Kuwait peaked at 7 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 4, in 1972.
Kuwait ranks 44th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Political Rights Rating in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 4 | — |
| 1973 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 6 | +50.0% |
| 1977 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 4 | -33.3% |
| 1983 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 6 | +50.0% |
| 1987 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 7 | +16.7% |
| 1991 | 6 | -14.3% |
| 1992 | 5 | -16.7% |
| 1993 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 4 | -20.0% |
| 2000 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 5 | +25.0% |
| 2013 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 6 | +20.0% |
| 2025 | 6 | +0.0% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 6 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1, 6.0× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 6 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 6, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| 1980s | 5.11 | 4 | 6 | 9 |
| 1990s | 5.2 | 4 | 7 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.8 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.33 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 44 Algeria 6 compare
- 44 Angola 6 compare
- 44 Brunei 6 compare
- 44 Cameroon 6 compare
- 44 Egypt 6 compare
- 44 Ethiopia 6 compare
- 44 Guinea 6 compare
- 44 Guinea-Bissau 6 compare
- 44 Hong Kong 6 compare
- 44 Oman 6 compare
- 44 Palestine 6 compare
- 44 Qatar 6 compare
- 44 Rwanda 6 compare
- 44 Tanzania 6 compare
- 44 Thailand 6 compare
- 44 Togo 6 compare
- 44 Tunisia 6 compare
- 44 Uganda 6 compare
- 44 Zimbabwe 6 compare
More social development data for Kuwait
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 386 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3,369 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 6 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0007 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3,369 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of -20.9 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is political rights rating in Kuwait?
- Political rights rating in Kuwait was 6 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest political rights rating recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 7 in 1990.
- What is the lowest political rights rating recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 4 in 1972.
- How does Kuwait rank for political rights rating?
- Kuwait ranks 44th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is political rights rating rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Political Rights Rating. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Identifies the extent of free and fair elections, political pluralism and participation, and a functioning government. Lower ratings indicate more rights.