Kuwait

Summary

Official Name

State of Kuwait

International Conventions

CDE (1963), CPPDCE (2007), CSICH (2015), ICCPR (1996), UNCRPD (2013), UNDRIP (2007)

Population

4,421,000

Principal Languages

Gulf Spoken Arabic, Standard Arabic

Literacy Rate

96% (2018 UNESCO)

General References

Holes 1990, Ingham 1982, Johnstone 1967

Language Counts

The number of established languages listed for Kuwait is 7. All are living languages. Of these, 1 is indigenous and 6 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 3 are institutional, 3 are developing, and 1 is in trouble. Also listed are 17 unestablished languages.

Languages

Amharic amh: Users: 92,000 in Kuwait (2011 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, South, Transversal, Amharic-Argobba
Arabic, Egyptian Spoken arz: Users: 396,000 in Kuwait (2011 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Arabic, Gulf Spoken afb: Widepread, except scattered in Al Jahra’ governorate. Users: 2,300,000 in Kuwait (2017). Total users in all countries: 10,801,700. Status: 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language, widely used in public administration. Autonym: خليجي‎ (Khaliji) Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Arabic, Mesopotamian Spoken acm: Users: 19,000 in Kuwait (2011 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Arabic, Najdi Spoken ars: Al Jahra’ governorate: Ash-Sheqaya, As-Salmi, and Bir Mahafzah areas; mainly Ab Dali south to Al Jahra’. Users: 428,000 in Kuwait (2017). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken apc: Users: 214,000 in Kuwait (2011 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Arabic, Omani Spoken acx: Users: 21,000 in Kuwait (2020 Joshua Project). Status: 5* (Developing). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Arabic, South Levantine Spoken ajp: Scattered. Users: 65,000 in Kuwait (2011 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Arabic, Standard arb: Widespread. Users: 1,670,000 in Kuwait (2015 SIL), all users. Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1962, Constitution, Article 3). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Arabic, Ta’izzi-Adeni Spoken acq: Users: 14,000 in Kuwait (2011 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Armenian, Western hyw: Users: 7,800 in Kuwait (2020 Joshua Project). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Indo-European, Armenian
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic aii: Users: 8,100 in Kuwait (2020 Joshua Project). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northeastern
Chinese, Mandarin cmn: Users: 4,900 in Kuwait (2020 Joshua Project). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese
English eng: Users: 26,000 in Kuwait (2011 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
French fra: Users: 8,200 in Kuwait (2020 Joshua Project). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
Hindi hin: Scattered. Users: 700,000 in Kuwait (2017 Gulf News). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Western Hindi, Hindustani
Indonesian ind: Users: 24,000 in Kuwait (2011 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Chamic, Malayic, Malay
Kurdish, Central ckb: Users: 6,300 in Kuwait (2020 Joshua Project). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Northwestern, Kurdish
Mehri gdq: Scattered individuals. Users: 27,200 in Kuwait (2017). Status: 6b* (Threatened). Alternate Names: Mahri Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, South Arabian
Persian, Iranian pes: Users: 53,000 in Kuwait (2011 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Southwestern, Persian
Tagalog tgl: Users: 176,000 in Kuwait (2011 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Central Philippine, Central Philippine, Tagalog
Turkish tur: Users: 9,900 in Kuwait (2020 Joshua Project). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Turkic, Southern, Turkish