Death rate declines, births increase in Kuwait
Latest data from the Central Statistical Bureau’s Census and Population Statistics Department reveal that the number of births in government hospitals in 2023 was 7917, an increase of 11 percent from the 7133 births registered in 2022. During the same period, private maternity hospitals recorded a decrease in birth rates, decreasing from 25,723 births in 2022 to 24,396 births last year.
In the meantime, the death rate among the population decreased in 2023 from 8041 in 2022 to 7436, which works out to 2.56 percent deaths per 1,000 population last year compared to 2.94 percent in 2022.
A breakdown of the mortality figures by the major diseases that claimed the lives of people in Kuwait, show that circulatory system diseases, in particular, heart-related conditions, was the leading cause of death in both years. In 2023, diseases of the circulatory system accounted for 94.81 percent of deaths per 100,000 citizens, compared to 55.27 percent for non-citizens.
The percentage of citizens dying from cancer increased by 16.4 percent, rising from 628 in 2022 to 731 in 2023. The total number of deaths among citizens and residents reached 1,394 in 2023, compared to 1,027 in 2022, marking a 35.47 percent increase.
Deaths from tuberculosis decreased last year compared to the previous year. In 2022, there were 10 deaths among citizens and 17 among non-Kuwaitis, whereas in 2023, the numbers dropped to 6 deaths among citizens and 9 among non-Kuwaitis.
From 2019 to 2023, no citizens died from malaria, while one non-Kuwaiti death was recorded in 2019.
Regarding the fertility rate of female citizens, there was a decline last year compared to the previous year, dropping from 83.913 percent in 2022 to 80.610 percent in 2023.
In 2023, , there was a decline in the Kuwaiti infant mortality rate, which fell to 6.28 percent from 7.76 percent in 2022. The infant mortality rate among males remained higher than among females, with rates of 6.63 percent and 5.93 percent respectively. In 2022, male mortality was 9.15 percent and female mortality was 6.29 percent.
As the fertility rate declined, the natural increase rate for citizens also decreased. In 2023, it was 18.73 percent, compared to 19.17 percent in 2022. The live birth rate for citizens also dropped in 2023 to 21.30 percent, down from 22.11 percent in 2022. Additionally, the rate of Kuwaiti stillbirths decreased to 4.18 percent in 2023, compared to 5.48 percent in 2022.
The statistics also indicated a decrease in the percentage of deaths from transport accidents among total external causes, falling to 42.4 percent last year from 48 percent in 2022. On the other hand, the percentage of deaths due to suicide among all external causes increased to 13.1 percent last year, up from 11% in 2022.