Dubai: Kuwait is home to 322 centenarians, with women comprising the majority of this group, data from country’s Public Authority for Civil Information revealed.
Of these individuals aged 100 and older, 160 are Kuwaiti nationals. The figures show that among the centenarians, 82 are men and 240 are women.
Specifically, Kuwaiti centenarians include 45 men and 115 women, while non-Kuwaiti centenarians consist of 37 men and 125 women.
Dr. Ali Al Qattan, a geriatrics consultant and head of the geriatrics unit at Mubarak Hospital, attributed this increase in life expectancy to improved quality of life in Kuwait.
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He noted a global trend of rising life spans, which is also evident in Kuwait and the wider Arab region. Dr. Al Qattan shared that elderly individuals (aged 65 and older) currently make up around 5 per cent of Kuwait’s population. This figure could rise to between 10 and 15 per cent in the coming years, based on public data.
Should the elderly population exceed 10 per cent, Dr. Al Qattan warned of potential pressures on the middle class, as a larger segment of society would need to provide specialised services for older citizens.
He emphasised the importance of preparing for this anticipated demographic shift, particularly by enhancing health and social services.
Currently, over 136,000 residents in Kuwait are aged 65 or older, both Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti. Dr. Al Qattan stressed the importance of ensuring adequate services and legal frameworks to support this rising demographic, highlighting Kuwait’s existing social and religious support systems as assets that could be leveraged to aid the elderly.
