United Arab Emirates
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?
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.
At a Glance
The numbers that define this country
Internet Users (%)
100.0%The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
CO2 Per Capita
20.131How many tonnes of CO2 the average person produces per year.
Human Development Index
0.94The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
79.2KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
GDP Per Capita
$68.6KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Life Expectancy
82.9 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Where They Stand Out
Global rankings worth knowing
🌱Electricity Access (%)
100.0%The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
📡Internet Users (%)
100.0%The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
📡Mobile Subscriptions (%)
203The number of mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people.
🤝Women in Parliament (%)
50.0%The percentage of parliament seats held by women.
🚀Human Development Index
0.94The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Did You Know?
Facts that catch players off guard
Ranks #2 globally in electricity access (%)
Electricity Access (%): 100.0%
The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
World Bank 2023Ranks #1 globally in internet users (%)
Internet Users (%): 100.0%
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
World Bank 2023Only ranks #214 in dependency ratio
Dependency Ratio: 21.77
The number of dependents (people under 15 or over 64) per 100 working-age adults (ages 15-64).
World Bank 2023Only ranks #227 in death rate
Death Rate: 1.73
The number of deaths per 1,000 people each year.
World Bank 2023Only ranks #214 in elderly population (%)
Elderly Population (%): 1.8%
The percentage of the population aged 65 and older.
World Bank 2023Surprised? See how you stack up.
Play NowHow United Arab Emirates Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
GDP per Capita
Above avgGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
World Bank 2023Life Expectancy
Above avgHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
World Bank 2023Human Development Index
Above avgThe Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Our World in Data 2023Internet Users
Above avgThe percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
World Bank 2023Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Test Your IntuitionAbout United Arab Emirates
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.
- 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
- 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 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)
- 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)
- 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)
Deep Dive
68 of 89 metricsEvery stat we track, organized by category
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Oman
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BruneiShare a Fact
Share something surprising about United Arab Emirates!
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions about United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates has a population of 10.09M, ranking #93 globally by population.
United Arab Emirates is located in Asia. It has an area of 83,600 km².
Life expectancy in United Arab Emirates is 82.9 years, ranking #24 globally.
United Arab Emirates's GDP per capita (PPP) is 79.2K, ranking #17 globally.
United Arab Emirates ranks particularly high in Internet Users (%) (#1), CO2 Per Capita (#7), Human Development Index (#15).
United Arab Emirates has an HDI of 0.940, ranking #15 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
United Arab Emirates has a population density of 147.6 people per km², ranking #78 globally.
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