country profile

Kuwait

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & PakistanHigh income4.87M population

Last updated July 15, 2026

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Emerging readiness

Composite GEFRI Score

Infrastructure is strongest, while Innovation remains a constraint

Kuwait demonstrates early-stage readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (54th percentile worldwide). Investments are generating initial gains, yet substantial gaps persist in several dimensions.

53.39Composite score
Global percentile
54th
Global rank
#82
Regional rank
#10
Viewing data for
Progressing readiness
Infrastructure
66.78
67th percentileGlobal avg. 55.13
Emerging readiness
Human Capital
56.92
71st percentileGlobal avg. 47.36
Severely underprepared
Innovation
39.38
40th percentileGlobal avg. 46.19
Emerging readiness
Governance
51.19
63rd percentileGlobal avg. 47.46
Emerging readiness
Access & Parity
52.68
49th percentileGlobal avg. 48.49

Country profile

Kuwait remains in the emerging-readiness range, with progress visible but major gaps still limiting future readiness. Most dimension scores sit close to global norms, without a single dimension standing far above the rest.

Uneven scores across dimensions show where readiness conditions are less aligned. High internet adoption enables broad participation in digital learning and innovation.

Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Gender parity across secondary pathways reflects sustained commitment to equitable participation.

Innovation presents a near-term leapfrog opportunity: performance is just below the global average, backed by enough observed data to support forward planning. Regionally, Kuwait leads most clearly in Governance, sitting well above the peer average.

Some indicators are imputed, so the profile should be read with moderate caution.

Key insights

Places 82nd worldwide.

Holds a regional position of 10th within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan.

Scores range from Infrastructure (66.8) to Innovation (39.4), reflecting variation across dimensions.

Leads regional peers most clearly in Governance.

Regional peers: Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

Composite GEFRI Score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
171Israel74.74
332United Arab Emirates69.85
393Malta64.27
414Saudi Arabia63.88
535Qatar60.47
576Jordan58.77
627Bahrain58.20
648Oman57.74
799Morocco53.94
8210Kuwait53.39
9411Egypt, Arab Rep.49.54
9612Tunisia49.30
10313West Bank and GazaFCS46.28
10414Iran, Islamic Rep.FCS46.15
11115Algeria40.96
11616Djibouti39.22
12217LebanonFCS36.21
12918IraqFCS34.23
13019LibyaFCS33.89
14920Syrian Arab RepublicFCS27.35
15221Yemen, Rep.FCS25.83