ARCHIVE // AE // 2025
United Arab Emirates
2025 Edition — sovereign
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2025
Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
[time series]
total: 3.95 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2023 est.)
Broadcast media
[time series]
most TV and radio stations state-owned, but many private organizations now operating in media free zones in Abu Dhabi and Dubai; widespread use of satellite dishes to access pan-Arab and other international broadcasts (2022)
Internet country code
[time series]
.ae
Internet users
[time series]
percent of population: 100% (2023 est.)
Telephones - fixed lines
[time series]
total subscriptions: 2.259 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2023 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
total subscriptions: 22.4 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 203 (2024 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products
[time series]
dates, cucumbers/gherkins, camel milk, goat milk, tomatoes, chicken, goat meat, eggs, milk, camel meat (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Average household expenditures
[time series]
on food: 12.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 0.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $23.248 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $19.349 billion (2023 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Economic overview
[time series]
high-income, oil-driven Middle Eastern economy; fastest GDP growth of Gulf states; diversification through tourism, construction, and services; strong foreign direct investment orientation; continued government investment and business-friendly reforms
Exchange rates
[time series]
Emirati dirhams (AED) per US dollar - 3.672 (2024 est.) 3.672 (2023 est.) 3.672 (2022 est.) 3.672 (2021 est.) 3.672 (2020 est.)
Exports
[time series]
$558.402 billion (2023 est.) $521.897 billion (2022 est.) $425.156 billion (2021 est.) note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports - commodities
[time series]
crude petroleum, refined petroleum, gold, broadcasting equipment, natural gas (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Exports - partners
[time series]
China 11%, India 11%, Japan 10%, Iraq 6%, Thailand 4% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$537.079 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
GDP - composition, by end use
[time series]
household consumption: 45.6% (2023 est.) government consumption: 12.4% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 27.1% (2023 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 108.6% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -93.7% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
[time series]
agriculture: 0.7% (2023 est.) industry: 47.7% (2023 est.) services: 51.6% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
[time series]
26.4 (2018 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: 2.8% (2018 est.) highest 10%: 20.5% (2018 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Imports
[time series]
$481.852 billion (2023 est.) $427.992 billion (2022 est.) $347.529 billion (2021 est.) note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports - commodities
[time series]
gold, broadcasting equipment, cars, refined petroleum, diamonds (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Imports - partners
[time series]
China 19%, India 7%, USA 6%, Turkey 4%, Japan 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
0.8% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
[time series]
petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizer, commercial ship repair, construction materials, handicrafts, textiles
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
1.7% (2024 est.) 1.6% (2023 est.) 5.3% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Labor force
[time series]
7.09 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
Public debt
[time series]
19.7% of GDP (2017 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
[time series]
$745.994 billion (2024 est.) $718.95 billion (2023 est.) $693.842 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
[time series]
3.8% (2024 est.) 3.6% (2023 est.) 7.5% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP per capita
[time series]
$68,600 (2024 est.) $68,600 (2023 est.) $68,900 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
[time series]
$237.931 billion (2024 est.) $189.491 billion (2023 est.) $138.433 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
[time series]
0.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Unemployment rate
[time series]
2.2% (2024 est.) 2.2% (2023 est.) 2.9% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 6.4% (2024 est.) male: 4.1% (2024 est.) female: 12.1% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Energy
Coal
[time series]
consumption: 5.411 million metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 82,000 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 5.512 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Electricity
[time series]
installed generating capacity: 44.462 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 157.974 billion kWh (2023 est.) exports: 613 million kWh (2023 est.) imports: 501.067 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 7.914 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity access
[time series]
electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Electricity generation sources
[time series]
fossil fuels: 75.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) nuclear: 19.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 4.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
[time series]
450.432 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Natural gas
[time series]
production: 55.8 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 67.734 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) exports: 6.863 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) imports: 18.938 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) proven reserves: 6.091 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Nuclear energy
[time series]
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 4 (2025) Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 5.35GW (2025 est.) Percent of total electricity production: 19.7% (2023 est.)
Petroleum
[time series]
total petroleum production: 4.146 million bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 846,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 97.8 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Environment
Carbon dioxide emissions
[time series]
271.703 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 12.788 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 126.038 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 132.876 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Climate
[time series]
desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Environmental issues
[time series]
air pollution; water scarcity; lack of natural freshwater resources; land degradation and desertification; waste generation, beach pollution from oil spills
International environmental agreements
[time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 5.5% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 4.2% (2023 est.) forest: 4.6% (2023 est.) other: 89.7% (2023 est.)
Methane emissions
[time series]
energy: 1,573.7 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 47.4 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 448.4 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 2.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Particulate matter emissions
[time series]
38.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources
[time series]
150 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Total water withdrawal
[time series]
municipal: 2.297 billion cubic meters (2022) industrial: 55 million cubic meters (2022) agricultural: 2.466 billion cubic meters (2022)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 87.8% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
[time series]
municipal solid waste generated annually: 5.618 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 24.5% (2022 est.)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total : 83,600 sq km land: 83,600 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
slightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine
Climate
[time series]
desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Coastline
[time series]
1,318 km
Elevation
[time series]
highest point: Jabal Bil 'Ays 1,905 m lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m mean elevation: 149 m
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
24 00 N, 54 00 E
Geography - note
[time series]
strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a transit point for crude oil; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) together account for over 90% of UAE's area and two-thirds of the population
Irrigated land
[time series]
940 sq km (2022)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 1,066 km border countries (2): Oman 609 km; Saudi Arabia 457 km
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 5.5% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 4.2% (2023 est.) forest: 4.6% (2023 est.) other: 89.7% (2023 est.)
Location
[time series]
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Map references
[time series]
Middle East
Maritime claims
[time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Natural hazards
[time series]
frequent sand and dust storms
Natural resources
[time series]
petroleum, natural gas
Population distribution
[time series]
population is heavily concentrated to the northeast on the Musandam Peninsula; the three largest emirates -- Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah -- are home to nearly 85% of the population
Terrain
[time series]
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
7 emirates ( imarat , singular - imarah ); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn
Capital
[time series]
name: Abu Dhabi geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: in Arabic, abu means "father," and dhabi refers to a personal name, Dhabi or Zabi, that comes from the word zab , or "gazelle"
Citizenship
[time series]
citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of the United Arab Emirates; if the father is unknown, the mother must be a citizen dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 30 years
Constitution
[time series]
history: previous 1971 (provisional); latest drafted in 1979, became permanent May 1996 amendment process: proposed by the Supreme Council and submitted to the Federal National Council; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote of Federal National Council members present and approval of the Supreme Council president
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: United Arab Emirates conventional short form: none local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah local short form: none former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States abbreviation: UAE etymology: self-descriptive country name; the name Arabia can be traced back at least as far as the ancient Egyptians, who referred to the region as "Ar Rabi;" "emirates" derives from amir , the Arabic word for "commander," "lord," or "prince;" the former name, Trucial States, refers to a maritime truce from 1820 between the British and the Arab sheikhdoms
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d Affaires Eric GAUDIOSI (since August 2025) embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38, Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi mailing address: 6010 Abu Dhabi Place, Washington DC 20521-6010 telephone: [971] (2) 414-2200 FAX: [971] (2) 414-2241 email address and website: abudhabiacs@state.gov https://ae.usembassy.gov/ consulate(s) general: Dubai
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Yousif AL OTAIBA (since 28 July 2008) chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400 FAX: [1] (202) 243-2408 email address and website: info@uaeembassy-usa.org https://www.uae-embassy.org/ consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: President MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan (since 14 May 2022) head of government: Prime Minister and Co-Vice President MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al Maktum (since 5 January 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers announced by the prime minister and approved by the president election/appointment process: president and vice president indirectly elected by the Federal Supreme Council -- composed of the rulers of the 7 emirates -- for a 5-year term (no term limits); prime minister appointed by the president most recent election date: unscheduled election held on 14 May 2022, after the death of President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan election results: 2022: MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al-Nuhayyan elected president; Federal Supreme Council vote - NA expected date of next election: 2027 note: the Federal Supreme Council (FSC) is composed of the 7 emirate rulers and is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; the FSC establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets 4 times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power
Flag
[time series]
description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black, with a wider vertical red band on the left side meaning: the flag incorporates all four pan-Arab colors, which in this case represent fertility (green), neutrality (white), oil (black), and unity (red); red is a traditional color that was part of all the emirates' flags before their unification
Government type
[time series]
federation of monarchies
Independence
[time series]
2 December 1971 (from the UK)
International law organization participation
[time series]
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation
[time series]
ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BIS, BRICS, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch
[time series]
highest court(s): Federal Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 4 judges; jurisdiction limited to federal cases) judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the federal president after approval from the Federal Supreme Council, the highest executive and legislative authority consisting of the 7 emirate rulers; judges serve until retirement age or the expiration of their appointment terms subordinate courts: Federal Court of Cassation (determines the constitutionality of laws); the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ra's al Khaymah have parallel court systems; the other 4 emirates have incorporated their courts into the federal system note: the Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts and the Dubai International Financial Center Courts, the country s two largest financial free zones, adjudicate civil and commercial disputes
Legal system
[time series]
mixed system of Islamic (sharia) law and civil law
Legislative branch
[time series]
legislature name: Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihadi) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 40 (20 indirectly elected; 20 appointed) electoral system: other systems scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 10/7/2023 percentage of women in chamber: 50% expected date of next election: October 2027
National anthem(s)
[time series]
title: "Nashid al-watani al-imarati" (National Anthem of the UAE) lyrics/music: AREF Al Sheikh Abdullah Al Hassan/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB history: music adopted 1971, lyrics adopted 1986; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for Tunisia's and Libya's anthem
National color(s)
[time series]
green, white, black, red
National heritage
[time series]
total World Heritage Sites: 2 ( both cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud, and Oases Areas); Faya Palaeolandscape (c)
National holiday
[time series]
Independence Day (National Day), 2 December (1971)
National symbol(s)
[time series]
golden falcon
Political parties
[time series]
note: political parties are banned; all candidates run as independents
Suffrage
[time series]
limited note: rulers of the seven emirates each select a proportion of voters for the Federal National Council (FNC) that accounts for about 12 percent of Emirati citizens
Introduction
Background
[time series]
The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th-century treaties. In 1971, six of these states -- Abu Dhabi, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn -- merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ra's al Khaymah joined in 1972. The UAE's per-capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE's economy. In 2008-09, the confluence of falling oil prices, collapsing real estate prices, and the international banking crisis hit the UAE especially hard. The UAE did not experience the "Arab Spring" unrest seen elsewhere in the Middle East in 2010-11, partly because of the government's multi-year, $1.6-billion infrastructure investment plan for the poorer northern emirates, and its aggressive pursuit of advocates for political reform. The UAE in recent years has played a growing role in regional affairs. In addition to donating billions of dollars in economic aid to help stabilize Egypt, the UAE was one of the first countries to join the Defeat ISIS coalition, and to participate as a key partner in a Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. In 2020, the UAE and Bahrain signed a peace agreement (the Abraham Accords) with Israel -- brokered by the US -- in Washington, D.C. The UAE and Bahrain thus became the third and fourth Middle Eastern countries, along with Egypt and Jordan, to recognize Israel.
Military and Security
Military - note
[time series]
the UAE Armed Forces (UAEAF) are responsible for defending the state, its resources, and territory, preserving internal security, and supporting the UAE's foreign policy objectives; key security concerns include regional stability and cross-border threats, such as piracy and terrorism; in recent years, the UAE has undertaken a military modernization program to go along with an assertive security policy which has included military involvements in Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen the UAE has close security ties to France and the US; it hosts a multi-service French military base, which includes the French naval command for the Indian Ocean (ALINDIEN); the UAE has a defense cooperation agreement with the US and hosts thousands of US military troops, mostly air and naval personnel; it also has defense ties with a number of other countries, including Australia, China, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Malaysia, South Korea, and the UK, as well as NATO and fellow members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, particularly Saudi Arabia the UAEAF traces its origins to the establishment of the Trucial Oman Scouts in 1951, a joint UK-Abu Dhabi organization modeled after Jordan s Arab Legion, which became the Abu Dhabi Defense Force in 1965; the modern UAEAF were formed in 1976 (2025)
Military and security forces
[time series]
United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard (includes special operations forces), National Guard (includes Coast Guard) (2025) note: each emirate maintains a local police force called a general directorate, which is officially a branch of the federal Ministry of Interior; all emirate-level general directorates of police enforce their respective emirate s laws autonomously; they also enforce federal laws within their emirate in coordination with one another under the federal ministry; the State Security Directorate (SSD) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai State Security (DSS) have primary responsibility for counterterrorism law enforcement efforts; local, emirate-level police forces, especially the Abu Dhabi Police and Dubai Police, are the first responders in such cases and provide technical assistance to SSD and DSS
Military and security service personnel strengths
[time series]
approximately 65,000 active Armed Forces (45,000 Land Forces; 3,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force; 12,000 Presidential Guard) (2025)
Military deployments
[time series]
maintains a few hundred troops in Somalia and Yemen (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
[time series]
the military is equipped with mostly modern imported armaments, and a smaller amount of domestically produced weapons; foreign suppliers have included China, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, T rkiye, and the US; the UAE's domestic defense industry produces or co-produces such items as armored vehicles, naval vessels, precision munitions, and unmanned aerial vehicles/drones for both internal use and export (2025)
Military expenditures
[time series]
4% of GDP (2024 est.) 4.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 4% of GDP (2022 est.) 4.5% of GDP (2021 est.) 6.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military service age and obligation
[time series]
18-40 for voluntary service; 18-30 years of age for compulsory national service for men with a 36-month service obligation for those without a secondary education and 11 months for secondary school graduates; women may volunteer for national service (11-month service obligation regardless of education) (2025) note 1: compulsory service may be completed in the uniformed military, the Ministry of Interior, or other security institutions designated by the military leadership note 2: the UAE military employs a considerable number of foreign personnel on contracted service
People and Society
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 16.4% (male 842,577/female 802,302) 15-64 years: 81.4% (male 5,812,470/female 2,353,750) 65 years and over: 2.2% (2024 est.) (male 169,084/female 52,030)
Alcohol consumption per capita
[time series]
total: 2.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 1.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Birth rate
[time series]
10.65 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
[time series]
67.4% (2018 est.)
Death rate
[time series]
1.73 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Dependency ratios
[time series]
total dependency ratio: 23.4 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 20.4 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 3 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 33.4 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
[time series]
urban: 100% of population (2022 est.) rural: 100% of population (2022 est.) total: 100% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0% of population (2022 est.) rural: 0% of population (2022 est.) total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Education expenditure
[time series]
3.9% of GDP (2021 est.) 14.8% national budget (2021 est.)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
Emirati 11.6%, South Asian 59.4% (includes Indian 38.2%, Bangladeshi 9.5%, Pakistani 9.4%, other 2.3%), Egyptian 10.2%, Filipino 6.1%, other 12.8% (2015 est.) note : data represent the total population; as of 2019, immigrants make up about 87.9% of the total population, according to UN data
Gross reproduction rate
[time series]
0.78 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
[time series]
5.3% of GDP (2021) 12.1% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
[time series]
2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 5.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
[time series]
Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu, Pashto, Tagalog, Persian major-language sample(s): كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 79.9 years (2024 est.) male: 78.6 years female: 81.4 years
Literacy
[time series]
total population: 98.8% (2024 est.) male: 99% (2024 est.) female: 98.4% (2024 est.)
Major urban areas - population
[time series]
3.008 million Dubai, 1.831 million Sharjah, 1.567 million ABU DHABI (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
[time series]
3 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Median age
[time series]
total: 35.8 years (2025 est.) male: 38.1 years female: 29.8 years
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Emirati(s) adjective: Emirati
Net migration rate
[time series]
-2.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
31.7% (2016)
Physician density
[time series]
2.99 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Population
[time series]
total: 10,093,593 (2025 est.) male: 6,831,802 female: 3,261,791
Population distribution
[time series]
population is heavily concentrated to the northeast on the Musandam Peninsula; the three largest emirates -- Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah -- are home to nearly 85% of the population
Population growth rate
[time series]
0.62% (2025 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Muslim 74.5% (official) (Sunni 63.3%, Shia 6.7%, other 4.4%), Christian 12.9%, Hindu 6.2%, Buddhist 3.2%, agnostic 1.3%, other 1.9% (2020 est.) note : data represent the total population; as of 2020, immigrants make up about 88.1% of the total population, according to UN data
Sanitation facility access
[time series]
urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.) rural: 99.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 99.8% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.) rural: 0.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
[time series]
total: 16 years (2023 est.) male: 15 years (2023 est.) female: 16 years (2023 est.)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 2.47 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 3.25 male(s)/female total population: 2.13 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
[time series]
total: 10.7% (2025 est.) male: 13.9% (2025 est.) female: 2.4% (2025 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
1.6 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 87.8% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Space
Key space-program milestones
[time series]
1997 - initiated a national space sector 2009 - first remote sensing (RS) satellite (DubaiSat-1) developed jointly with South Korea and launched by Russia 2017 - announced Mars 2117 project, which included building a Mars Science City as the first step to establishing a human settlement on Mars within 100 years 2018 - first domestically produced RS satellite (KhalifaSat or DubaiSat-3) launched by Japan 2019 - first UAE astronaut (trained by Russia and US) in space on the International Space Station 2020 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration 2021 - became first Arab country to successfully place a probe (al Amal or Hope) in Mars orbit; announced plans to launch a probe in 2028 to land on an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter 2025 - domestically produced advanced RS/Earth imaging satellite (MBZ-SAT) launched by US
Space agency/agencies
[time series]
UAE Space Agency (created in 2014); Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC; established 2006) (2025)
Space program overview
[time series]
has an ambitious and growing national space program; focused on satellite development, including communications, remote sensing, and navigation, as well as deep space exploration; is building expertise, infrastructure, technology, and research and development capabilities; has elected to use foreign partners to launch payloads from spaceports abroad; has looked to invest in foreign commercial space companies and develop global partnerships; has a foreign-assisted astronaut training program; seeking to establish UAE as an international hub for space education; founding member of the Arab Space Cooperation Group; works with major global and regional players, including China, Egypt, the ESA, France, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, and the US; sees its commercial space industry as a key to diversifying and developing the country s non-oil economy; dozens of space companies operate in the UAE, including international and start-ups, plus several space-science research centers (2025)
Transnational Issues
Illicit drugs
[time series]
USG identification: major precursor-chemical producer (2025)
Refugees and internally displaced persons
[time series]
refugees: 7,634 (2024 est.)
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
42 (2025)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
[time series]
A6
Heliports
[time series]
204 (2025)
Merchant marine
[time series]
total: 655 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 2, container ship 3, general cargo 122, oil tanker 16, other 512
Ports
[time series]
total ports: 20 (2024) large: 1 medium: 4 small: 9 very small: 6 ports with oil terminals: 17 key ports: Abu Zaby, Jabal Az Zannah/Ruways, Khawr Fakkan, Mina Jabal Ali, Zirkuh