Bank concentration in Kuwait
Kuwait: Bank concentration was 82.3% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Bank concentration in Kuwait, 2000–2021
Source: Bankscope, Bureau van Dijk (BvD). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, bank concentration in Kuwait stood at 82.3%.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 17.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, bank concentration in Kuwait peaked at 100.0% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 73.8%, in 2004.
Kuwait ranks 55th of 170 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Bank concentration in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 76.1% | — |
| 2001 | 75.0% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 74.8% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 74.9% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 73.8% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 74.1% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 76.2% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 78.3% | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 87.5% | +11.8% |
| 2009 | 100.0% | +14.3% |
| 2010 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 80.8% | -19.2% |
| 2016 | 81.2% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 81.5% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 81.6% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 81.1% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 82.0% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 82.3% | +0.3% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 82.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 73.1%, 1.1× the median. (63 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 82.3% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 74.5%, 1.1× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 79.1% | 73.8% | 100.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 90.6% | 80.8% | 100.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.2% | 82.0% | 82.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 52 Jamaica 83.4% compare
- 53 Montenegro 83.2% compare
- 54 Mauritania 82.7% compare
- 56 Bahrain 82.0% compare
- 57 Zimbabwe 81.8% compare
- 58 Madagascar 81.8% compare
More financial sector data for Kuwait
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 11.16 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0044 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 142.41 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 5.86 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0032 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 103.99 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 11.16 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0044 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 142.41 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 5.86 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is bank concentration in Kuwait?
- Bank concentration in Kuwait was 82.3% in 2021, according to Bankscope, Bureau van Dijk (BvD).
- What is the highest bank concentration recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 2009.
- What is the lowest bank concentration recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 73.8% in 2004.
- How does Kuwait rank for bank concentration?
- Kuwait ranks 55th out of 170 countries with data for 2021.
- Is bank concentration rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from Bankscope, Bureau van Dijk (BvD), published as part of Bank concentration (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Raw data are from Bankscope. (Sum(data2025) for three largest banks in Bankscope) / (Sum(data2025) for all banks in Bankscope). Only reported if number of banks in Bankscope is 3 or more. Calculated from underlying bank-by-bank unconsolidated data from Bankscope.