publish time

11/07/2024

author name Arab Times

publish time

11/07/2024

Death rate in Kuwaitis plummets

KUWAIT CITY, July 11: Recent official data highlights divergent trends in childbirth across Kuwait's healthcare sectors. Government hospitals saw an increase in births among citizens, with 7,917 deliveries in 2023 compared to 7,133 in 2022. In contrast, maternity facilities in the private sector reported a decline, recording 24,396 births in 2023, down from 25,723 in the previous year.

The Central Administration of Statistics' annual report on births and deaths for 2023, released yesterday, reveals significant health insights for Kuwait. The death rate among citizens decreased to 2.56 percent per thousand of the population, a decline from 2.94 percent in 2022. Diseases of the circulatory system, notably heart-related ailments, remained the leading cause of death over the past two years, accounting for 94.81 percent of deaths per 100,000 citizens compared to 55.27 percent among non-citizens.

Cancer-related deaths among citizens increased by 16.4 percent, rising from 628 in 2022 to 731 in 2023. Overall deaths among citizens and residents totaled 1,394 in 2023, marking a 35.47 percent increase from 1,027 in 2022.

The fertility rate among female citizens declined from 83.913 percent in 2022 to 80.610 percent in 2023. This decline also impacted the natural increase rate, which decreased to 18.73 percent in 2023 from 19.17 percent in the previous year. The live birth rate for citizens similarly declined to 21.30 percent in 2023, compared to 22.11 percent in 2022.

Positive trends were noted in Kuwaiti stillbirths, decreasing to 4.18 percent in 2023 from 5.48 percent in 2022. Similarly, the Kuwaiti infant mortality rate showed improvement, dropping to 6.28 percent in 2023 from 7.76 percent in 2022.

These statistics underscore ongoing shifts in Kuwait's healthcare and demographic landscapes, reflecting both challenges and advancements in public health and population dynamics.