Curated stat
Al Ain shows settled desert life going back to the Neolithic, with ancient oasis irrigation.
Data as of May 5, 2026
United Arab Emirates
AsiaGlobal Leader
Among all countries, United Arab Emirates stands 1st in internet access. Can you guess its other standout statistics?
Among all countries, United Arab Emirates stands 1st in internet access. This achievement puts it ahead of the vast majority of countries. Can you guess its other standout statistics?
24.0, 54.0 - Asia
Area
84K km²
Pop.
10.09M
Stats
126
Reality brief
United Arab Emirates is a country in Asia with a population of 10.09M and an area of 83,600 km². Life expectancy is 82.9 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Internet Users (%)
100%#1globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
CO2 Per Capita
20.13 t/person/yr#7globally
Annual carbon dioxide emissions in tonnes per person, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Human Development Index
0.94#15globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
$79,228.74#17globally
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
GDP Per Capita
$68,584.66#18globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Life Expectancy
82.9 years#24globally
Average number of years a newborn would be expected to live if current mortality patterns stayed the same, from Our World in Data.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about United Arab Emirates
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Geography
Size snapshot: slightly larger than South Carolina.
CIA 2026
Culture
Major languages include Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Malayalam, and more.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in United Arab Emirates
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Electricity Access (%)
100%#2globallyTop stat
The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
Mobile Subscriptions (%)
203 per 100 people#7globallyTop stat
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people, from World Bank Open Data.
Women in Parliament (%)
50%#6globallyTop stat
The percentage of parliament seats held by women.
Military Spending
5.6% of GDP#8globallyTop stat
Military expenditure as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Air Passengers
91.06M#12globallyTop stat
Total passengers carried by airlines registered in that country, regardless of where flights originated or ended.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #214 in dependency ratio
#21421.77% of working-age pop.Dependency Ratio
Dependents as a share of the working-age population, from World Bank Open Data.
Keeps suicide rate unusually low
#1691.7 per 100kSuicide Rate
Suicide mortality rate per 100,000 people, from World Bank Open Data.
Keeps unemployment rate unusually low
#1712.1%Unemployment Rate
The percentage of the workforce that is unemployed but actively looking for work.
Only ranks #191 in renewable energy (%)
#1911.0%Renewable Energy (%)
The percentage of energy consumption that comes from renewable sources like solar, wind, and hydro.
Ranks #15 globally in tourist arrivals
#158.08MTourist Arrivals
How many international tourists visit the country each year.
Compared with the region
How United Arab Emirates Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
United Arab Emirates
Asia avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $79,228.74
- Region avg
- $34,339.76
- World avg
- $31,844.55
United Ara…$79,228.74
Asia$34,339.76
World$31,844.55
+149% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 82.9 years
- Region avg
- 75.3 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
United Ara…82.9 years
Asia75.3 years
World73.7 years
+12% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.94
- Region avg
- 0.75
- World avg
- 0.74
United Ara…0.94
Asia0.75
World0.74
+27% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 100%
- Region avg
- 75.77%
- World avg
- 70.29%
United Ara…100%
Asia75.77%
World70.29%
+42% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About United Arab Emirates
Country briefing
The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th-century treaties.
Read the full Factbook note
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.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
- Climate
- desert; cooler in eastern mountains
- Terrain
- flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, natural gas
- Natural Hazards
- frequent sand and dust storms
- Size Comparison
- slightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu, Pashto, Tagalog, Persian
- Religions
- 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.)
- Ethnic Groups
- 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.)
- Major Cities
- 3.008 million Dubai, 1.831 million Sharjah, 1.567 million ABU DHABI (capital) (2023)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- federation of monarchies
- Capital
- Abu Dhabi
- Capital Coordinates
- 24 28 N, 54 22 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- United Arab Emirates
- Name Origin
- 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
- Independence
- 2 December 1971 (from the UK)
- National Symbols
- golden falcon
- National Anthem
- "Nashid al-watani al-imarati" (National Anthem of the UAE)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 2 ( both cultural)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- 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
- Industries
- petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizer, commercial ship repair, construction materials, handicrafts, textiles
- Agricultural Products
- dates, cucumbers/gherkins, camel milk, goat milk, tomatoes, chicken, goat meat, eggs, milk, camel meat (2023)
- Export Partners
- China 11%, India 11%, Japan 10%, Iraq 6%, Thailand 4% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- crude petroleum, refined petroleum, gold, broadcasting equipment, natural gas (2023)
- Import Partners
- China 19%, India 7%, USA 6%, Turkey 4%, Japan 4% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- gold, broadcasting equipment, cars, refined petroleum, diamonds (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense5 facts
- Military Forces
- United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard (includes special operations forces), National Guard (includes Coast Guard) (2025)
- Military Service
- 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)
- Energy Mix
- 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.)
- Broadcast Media
- 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)
- Space Program
- 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)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Technology3 statsBest: #1
Environment9 statsBest: #2
Electricity Access (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Total CO2 Emissions
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Protected Land (%)
Irrigated Land
940 km²#94
Forest Area
Renewable Energy (%)
Forest Coverage (%)
Society & Equality1 statsBest: #6
Women in Parliament (%)
Military & Defense2 statsBest: #8
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #12
Education & Future6 statsBest: #15
Energy2 statsBest: #16
Electric Generating Capacity
44.46M kW#30
Nuclear Electricity Share
19.7%#16
Wealth & Economy10 statsBest: #17
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
GDP Per Capita
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
GDP (Nominal)
GDP Growth Rate
High-Tech Exports (%)
Inflation Rate
Youth Unemployment Rate
Government Debt (% GDP)
Unemployment Rate
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #24
Life Expectancy
Obesity Rate
Doctors (per 1,000)
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Health Spending (% GDP)
Infant Mortality
Child Mortality
Smoking Rate
Suicide Rate
Infrastructure2 statsBest: #35
Merchant Fleet Size
655#35
Airports
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #40
Lowest Elevation
0 m#40
Coastline Length
1.3K km#73
Land Border Length
1.1K km#123
Highest Elevation
1.9K m#129
Demographics12 statsBest: #48
Urban Population (%)
Population Density
Population
Median Age
Land Area
Birth Rate
Fertility Rate
Youth Population (%)
Teen Birth Rate
Elderly Population (%)
Dependency Ratio
Death Rate
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United Arab Emirates
#1 in Internet Users (%)
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Top 5% globally
100%
Frequently Asked Questions about United Arab Emirates
What is the population of United Arab Emirates?
United Arab Emirates has a population of 10.09M, ranking #93 globally by population.
What continent is United Arab Emirates in?
United Arab Emirates is located in Asia. It has an area of 83,600 km².
What is the life expectancy in United Arab Emirates?
Life expectancy in United Arab Emirates is 82.9 years, ranking #24 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of United Arab Emirates?
United Arab Emirates's GDP per capita (PPP) is $79,228.74, ranking #17 globally.
What is United Arab Emirates known for in global statistics?
United Arab Emirates ranks particularly high in Internet Users (%) (#1), CO2 Per Capita (#7), Human Development Index (#15).
What is United Arab Emirates's Human Development Index?
United Arab Emirates has an HDI of 0.940, ranking #15 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is United Arab Emirates?
United Arab Emirates has a population density of 147.6 people per km², ranking #78 globally.