Abu Dhabi's 2026 population is now estimated at 3,210,297. In 1975, the population of Abu Dhabi was 211,812. Abu Dhabi has grown by 124,446 in the last year, which represents a 4.03% annual change. These population values and projections come from UAE population by emirates, nationality and gender (Bayanat official) and World Population Review Internal Projections .
The United Arab Emirates is made up of seven separate Emirates and, among those, Abu Dhabi ranks second in population, behind Dubai.
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates and is also considered its second largest city, based on available land - with 972 square kilometers to consider. Abu Dhabi houses the government offices and carries out all government-related tasks for the UAE.
The population of Abu Dhabi can be difficult to determine as 79.6% of the overall population are not residents of the city. However, the numbers indicate that the 2016 total population of both residents and non-residents is 2.908 million people. The growth rate of the Abu Dhabi is 5.6% between 2010 and 2016 as increasing numbers of people enjoy the exceptional economy of the area.
Abu Dhabi maintains a demographic structure much like that of other areas throughout the world where much of the population lives in urban areas. The urban population is 1,698,961 and the rural population is 1,085,529. There are more males than females within Abu Dhabi, with 1,831,741 males and 952,749 females. The city also has a large UAE national population over 550,000 people. The average life expectancy within Abu Dhabi is 75.9 years for men and 79.5 years for women.
The official religion is Islam. The official language used here is Arabic, while English is also in majority use.
The labor force within Abu Dhabi is quite high at 83.1% of the total population. However, the number of women in the workforce is rather low when compared to other parts of the world. Women make up just 21.4% of the overall population of working age people. Unemployment within Abu Dhabi is low as there are plenty of employment opportunities within the city, and the cost of living is quite high. The current unemployment rate is just 3.7%, which is very low when considering the fact that other countries and cities have unemployment rates into the double digits.
The education system within the United Arab Emirates is, and in Abu Dhabi alone there are 441 different schools teaching 373,586 students. Upon graduating, those that choose to stay in Abu Dhabi are privileged to have the opportunity to attend one of nine universities. The percentage of illiteracy in Abu Dhabi is low due to the excellent school system. The numbers reflect the fact that only 6.4% of the population above the age of ten are considered illiterate. The numbers can be broken down further between men and women, with 6.5% of men and 6.2% of women falling into the category of illiteracy.
Although most of the citizens and non-residents of Abu Dhabi travel by private vehicles, there is a public transportation service within the city. It is not as expansive as some since the service has only been active since 2008, but it does boast 650 buses servicing the 95 routes in different parts of Abu Dhabi. To date, the service has provided transportation to more than 50 million people and counting.
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | 3,776,252 | 5.13% |
| Abu Dhabi | 3,210,297 | 4.03% |
| Sharjah | 2,267,755 | 5.13% |
| Ajman | 591,525 | 5.13% |
| Ras Al Khaimah | 468,758 | 3.9% |
| Fujairah | 359,201 | 5.13% |
| Umm Al Quwain | 98,189 | 3.35% |