Photo: Jack Versloot · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 12 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Kuwait: Mobility & Trade
How connected is a country to the rest of the world?
Kuwait is placed joint 91st of 177 countries on mobility & trade in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Liner Shipping Connectivity Index 34.46 (2025); Container Import Dwell Time 5 (2024).
Share
Mobility & Trade
joint91st
of 177 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Kuwait on mobility & trade — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
Liner Shipping Connectivity Index
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
34.46
LSCI (index, average Q1 2023 = 100)
Higher is better
Ranked 107th of 177 by UNCTAD
Kuwait: 34.46. Across the 168 countries in this edition, values run from 4.13 (Turks and Caicos Islands) to 1,313 (China); the world median is 60.84.
- World median
- 60.84
- Best in Western Asia
- 319.55 United Arab Emirates
- Land neighbours
- Iraq 83 · Saudi Arabia 237.46
5
Median days a full import container waits in port
Lower is better
Kuwait: 5. Across the 156 countries in this edition, values run from 1 (Gibraltar) to 21.6 (Haiti); the world median is 4.4.
- World median
- 4.4
- Best in Western Asia
- 2 Cyprus
- Land neighbours
- Iraq 4.2 · Saudi Arabia 3.3
3.2
LPI score (1–5)
Higher is better
Ranked 51st of 139 by World Bank Group
Kuwait: 3.2. Across the 139 countries in this edition, values run from 1.9 (Afghanistan) to 4.3 (Singapore); the world median is 2.9.
- World median
- 2.9
- Best in Western Asia
- 4 United Arab Emirates
- Land neighbours
- Iraq 2.4 · Saudi Arabia 3.4
Key 4 of 4
ICT Goods Exports
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
No reading
ICT goods exports (% of total goods exports)
Higher is better
UNCTAD publishes no 2024 figure for Kuwait, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 120 countries in this edition, values run from 0 (Gambia) to 61.45 (Hong Kong); the world median is 0.975.
- World median
- 0.975
- Best in Western Asia
- 17.66 Israel
- Land neighbours
- Saudi Arabia 2.25
02Over time
Which way Kuwait is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Liner Shipping Connectivity Index
LSCI (index, average Q1 2023 = 100) · higher is better
KuwaitWorld median
Kuwait fell from 49.44 in 2006 to 28.05 in 2026; the world median went from 52.25 to 56.21.
Every year’s figures
Year Kuwait World median 2026 28.1 56.21 2025 34.5 60.84 2024 36.9 55.22 2023 39.0 54.78 2022 33.8 51.49 2021 32.0 52.64 2020 38.8 47.86 2019 40.8 51.05 2018 41.8 52.03 2017 36.5 49.87 2016 26.4 48.09 2015 34.6 49.13 2014 38.2 48.08 2013 36.2 51.32 2012 43.6 47.44 2011 39.1 50.26 2010 38.1 50.51 2009 54.0 53.04 2008 59.9 51.68 2007 51.8 55.78 2006 49.4 52.25 Logistics Performance Index
LPI score (1–5) · higher is better
KuwaitWorld median
Kuwait rose from 2.985 in 2007 to 3.2 in 2023; the world median went from 2.529 to 2.9.
Every year’s figures
Year Kuwait World median 2023 3.20 2.900 2018 2.86 2.706 2016 3.15 2.734 2014 3.01 2.753 2012 2.83 2.773 2010 3.28 2.746 2007 2.99 2.529 ICT Goods Exports
ICT goods exports (% of total goods exports) · higher is better
KuwaitWorld median
Kuwait rose from 0.04 in 2000 to 0.26 in 2023; the world median went from 0.43 to 0.69.
Every year’s figures
Year Kuwait World median 2024 — 0.975000 2023 0.26 0.690000 2022 0.12 0.565000 2021 0.15 0.550000 2020 0.19 0.680000 2019 0.14 0.625000 2018 0.20 0.480000 2017 0.26 0.630000 2016 0.14 0.865000 2015 0.15 0.790000 2014 0.06 0.760000 2013 0.05 0.645000 2012 — 0.630000 2011 0.10 0.535000 2010 0.16 0.560000 2009 0.29 0.780000 2008 0.18 0.595000 2007 0.16 0.660000 2006 0.05 0.445000 2005 — 0.570000 2004 0.08 0.535000 2003 0.12 0.530000 2002 0.07 0.510000 2001 0.07 0.490000 2000 0.04 0.430000
03In context
Kuwait beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 177 countries on mobility & trade, never a place within the region.
Kuwait and the countries it borders
Standing among all 177; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Liner Shipping Connectivity IndexLSCI (index, average Q1 2023 = 100) | Container Import Dwell TimeMedian days a full import container waits in port | Logistics Performance IndexLPI score (1–5) | ICT Goods ExportsICT goods exports (% of total goods exports) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Saudi Arabia | 40th | 237.46 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 2.25 |
| Kuwait | =91st | 34.46 | 5 | 3.2 | — |
 Iraq | =101st | 83 | 4.2 | 2.4 | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Western Asia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 177.
Placed either side on mobility & trade
The countries immediately above and below Kuwait in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Kuwait is ahead of the world, and behind
17 more statistics filed under mobility & trade, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median2
Statistics on which Kuwait does better than the middle country measured.
ICT Services ExportsUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 7.47444.787.474No real change since 2014
Kuwait: 44.78 · world median 7.474 · ICT services exports (% of services exports). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 56.25; higher is better.
Position 2nd of 118 · derived.
Digitally-Deliverable Services ExportsUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 25.4257.9625.42▼ Worsened since 2014
Kuwait: 57.96 · world median 25.42 · Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.377 to 87.15; higher is better.
Position 20th of 170 · derived.
Behind the world median1
Statistics on which Kuwait does worse than the middle country measured.
Freedom of Foreign MovementV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 1.20.1431.2▼ Worsened since 2015
Kuwait: 0.143 · world median 1.2 · Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +2.9); higher = freer movement. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.642 to 2.727; higher is better.
Position 130th of 176 · derived.
No better end14
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
International Migrants as a Share of PopulationUN DESA Population Division · 2024 · world median 6.08967.356.089No real change since 2015
Kuwait: 67.35 · world median 6.089 · International migrants (% of population). UN DESA Population Division, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.02 to 100.
International MigrantsUN DESA Population Division · 2024 · world median 223,3233,323,191223,323No real change since 2015
Kuwait: 3,323,191 · world median 223,323 · International migrants living in the country, mid-year (people). UN DESA Population Division, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 246 to 52,375,047.
Net Migration RateUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median -0.13310.34-0.133Moved since 2013
Kuwait: 10.34 · world median -0.133 · Net migrants per 1,000 population. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from -61.68 to 39.62.
Cereal Import Dependency RatioFAO · 2022 · world median 42.899.442.8No real change since 2012
Kuwait: 99.4 · world median 42.8 · Share of the cereal supply that is imported (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from -1,894 to 100.
Export Concentration IndexUNCTAD · 2025 · world median 0.3060.5420.306Moved since 2015
Kuwait: 0.542 · world median 0.306 · Export concentration index (0–1, normalised Herfindahl–Hirschman). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.059 to 0.933.
Merchant Fleet by Country of OwnershipUNCTAD · 2026 · world median 275.735,558275.73Moved since 2016
Kuwait: 5,558 · world median 275.73 · Merchant fleet owned (thousand dead-weight tons). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 397,071.
Terms of Trade IndexUNCTAD · 2025 · world median 103.23115.04103.23Moved since 2015
Kuwait: 115.04 · world median 103.23 · Terms of trade index (2015 = 100). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 38.2 to 1,448.
Commodity Export DependenceUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 67.1782.1367.17Moved since 2014
Kuwait: 82.13 · world median 67.17 · Commodity exports (% of merchandise exports, three-year average). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 4.605 to 99.77.
Tariff Rate, Applied, Weighted Mean, All ProductsWorld Bank Group · 2022 · world median 3.664.013.66Moved since 2012
Kuwait: 4.01 · world median 3.66 · Applied tariff rate, trade-weighted mean (%). World Bank Group, 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 29.52.
Services ExportsUNCTAD · 2025 · world median 9.6028.1599.602Moved since 2015
Kuwait: 8.159 · world median 9.602 · Services exports (% of GDP). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.085 to 166.21.
Asylum-Seekers by Country of AsylumUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 1,8366111,836Moved since 2015
Kuwait: 611 · world median 1,836 · Asylum-seekers awaiting a decision, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 3,718,945.
EmigrantsUN DESA Population Division · 2024 · world median 444,451167,850444,451No real change since 2015
Kuwait: 167,850 · world median 444,451 · Migrants from the country living abroad, mid-year (people). UN DESA Population Division, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 313 to 18,533,845.
Refugee Population by Country of AsylumUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 12,26938612,269Moved since 2015
Kuwait: 386 · world median 12,269 · Refugees under UNHCR's mandate hosted, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 2,655,191.
Creative Goods ExportsUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 1.2350.1951.235Moved since 2014
Kuwait: 0.195 · world median 1.235 · Creative goods exports (% of merchandise exports). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 37.23.
No current reading for Kuwait
Average Time to Clear Exports Through Customs, Container Port Traffic (last 2020), Cost of Sending Remittances, Creative Services Exports, Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness Index, Exports of Goods and Services (% of GDP) (last 2024), FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index, Foreign Value Added Share of Gross Exports, ICT Goods Exports (last 2023), Imports of Goods and Services (% of GDP) (last 2024), Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary, Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary (last 2021) and Trade (% of GDP) (last 2024). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Mobility & Trade among Kuwait’s 15 topics
Mobility & Trade is Kuwait’s 9th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Work & Labour12th of 1824/4 keys
- Digital & Technologyjoint 47th of 1984/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing49th of 2004/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience62nd of 1933/4 keys
- Food & Agriculturejoint 61st of 1842/4 keys
- Development & Human Capitaljoint 76th of 1963/3 keys
- Governance & Institutions76th of 1944/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation87th of 1764/4 keys
- Mobility & Tradejoint 91st of 1773/4 keys
- Peace & Security103rd of 1774/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Libertiesjoint 136th of 1984/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge138th of 1983/4 keys
- Energy121st of 1653/3 keys
- Gender & Equality178th of 1833/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability184th of 1863/4 keys
No standing on Poverty & Inequality: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on mobility & trade
The three countries placed highest of 177, and the leaders Kuwait can most readily be measured against.
1
SingaporeSouth-eastern Asia
1st of 177 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Khairul Nizam . · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
2
MacauEastern Asia
2nd of 177 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
Hong KongEastern Asia
3rd of 177 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Base64 and Derivative work by Globe-trotter · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Asia
Singapore1st4/4 keysHighest in Western Asia
Israel11th3/4 keysThis page
Kuwait=91st3/4 keys
Positions out of 177 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Analysis
Charts and analysis about Kuwait and mobility & trade
On mobility & trade
China Leads Global High-Technology Exports
The world’s ten largest high-technology exporters as a treemap, with the rest of the world beside them. Each country’s figure is its own most recent year, between 2022 and 2024.
On mobility & trade
The World’s Safest Airlines for 2025
The eleven safest airlines of 2025, each beside the country it is based in, and the nine things the grading looks at. Three airlines share third place, and the publisher gives an order but no score.
On mobility & trade
The world’s most powerful passports for 2025
Sixteen passports, their mobility scores, and the visa-free, visa-on-arrival and visa-required split behind each. Fourteen share third place while differing in how they reach it.
08Questions
Kuwait on mobility & trade: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Kuwait rank on mobility & trade?
Kuwait is placed joint 91st of 177 countries on Mobility & Trade in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics (Liner Shipping Connectivity Index, Container Import Dwell Time and Logistics Performance Index). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Liner Shipping Connectivity Index figure for Kuwait?
34.46 in 2025 (lSCI (index, average Q1 2023 = 100)), according to UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The world median in the same edition was 60.84.
What is the latest Container Import Dwell Time figure for Kuwait?
5 in 2024 (median days a full import container waits in port), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 4.4.
How does Kuwait compare with Iraq on mobility & trade?
Iraq is placed joint 101st of 177, and Kuwait joint 91st. Liner Shipping Connectivity Index: Iraq 83, Kuwait 34.46; Container Import Dwell Time: Iraq 4.2, Kuwait 5; Logistics Performance Index: Iraq 2.4, Kuwait 3.2.
How have Kuwait’s mobility & trade figures changed?
Liner Shipping Connectivity Index fell from 49.44 in 2006 to 28.05 in 2026; Logistics Performance Index rose from 2.985 in 2007 to 3.2 in 2023; ICT Goods Exports rose from 0.04 in 2000 to 0.26 in 2023.
Which mobility & trade statistics are missing for Kuwait?
No current reading is published for Kuwait on Average Time to Clear Exports Through Customs, Container Port Traffic, Cost of Sending Remittances, Creative Services Exports, Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness Index, Exports of Goods and Services (% of GDP), FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index, Foreign Value Added Share of Gross Exports, ICT Goods Exports, Imports of Goods and Services (% of GDP), Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary, Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary and Trade (% of GDP). They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Passport strength and freedom of movement for people are not measured with a key, because the data behind passport rankings is not licensed for reuse here. Trade as a share of the economy, remittance costs and student mobility are published here as context.
How the Mobility & Trade standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The mobility & trade method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Liner Shipping Connectivity Index — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Container Import Dwell Time — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Logistics Performance Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- ICT Goods Exports — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), CC BY 3.0 IGO
The other 17 statistics on this page come from 6 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Kuwait’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Kuwait (banner) — Jack Versloot, CC BY 2.0
- Singapore — Khairul Nizam ., CC BY 2.0
- Macau — Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hong Kong — Base64 and Derivative work by Globe-trotter, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Kuwait: Mobility & Trade — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/kuwait/mobility