Results:

Independent candidates won all 50 seats.

At Stake in this Election: 

• 50 seats in the Kuwaiti National Assembly 

Government Structure:  

• Chief of State: Amir NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29 September 2020) 

• Head of Government: Prime Minister Sheikh AHMAD AL-NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Sabah (since 5 March 2023) 

• Assembly: unicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-Umma / مجلس الأمة) with 65 seats  

Electoral System:  

• The Amir (أمير) is a monarch selected from within the ruling Al-Sabah family. 

• The Prime Minister is appointed by the Amir. 

• In the National Assembly, 50 members are directly elected by plurality vote from multi-seat constituencies. The remaining 15 members—who serve in the cabinet—are appointed by the Amir. All members serve 4-year terms. 

Last Election: 

In 2022, independents won all 50 seats of the National Assembly, though many were aligned with political blocs. 

New/Unique in this Election:  

This is the second snap election in the past year. Acting on behalf of the Amir, Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah dissolved the National Assembly in April and called a snap election. The assembly was previously dissolved in 2022, but the outcome of the ensuing snap election was nullified by the Constitutional Court in March 2023. 

Main Parties in this Election: 

Political parties are illegal in Kuwait, so all candidates officially run as independents. However, there are assembly blocs linked to larger movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafism. 

Population and Registered Voters: 

• Population: 3,103,580 (2023 est.) 

• Registered Voters: 795,911 (2022 est.)  

Gender Data: 

• Female Population: 1,309,527 (2023 est.)  

• CEDAW Status: Ratified (by accession) 2 September 1994 

• Gender Quota:  No 

• Female Candidates in this election: Yes 

• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 0 out of 50 in the National Assembly  

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 0.831, Very High, Rank 50 (2021) 

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Full score unavailable (2023)  

Disability Data: 

• CRPD Status: Ratified (by accession) 22 August 2023  

• Projected population with a disability: 465,537 (2023 est.) 

IFES Resources: 

• Does IFES have a presence in Kuwait: No  

• Election Access: Yes 

• Election Judgements: Yes, 3 resources