Sharjah's 2026 population is now estimated at 2,267,755. In 1975, the population of Sharjah was 78,790. Sharjah has grown by 110,600 in the last year, which represents a 5.13% annual change. These population values and projections come from UAE population by emirates, nationality and gender (Bayanat official) and World Population Review Internal Projections .
Sharjah is a city that is located in the United Arab Emirates. It is a part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metro area. The city is the third largest in the country, both by population and by area. Sharjah is also the capital of the Sharjah emirate.
The population of the city is 1,400,000.
According to a census by the Department of Statistics and Community Development, the population is made up of over 175,000 Emiratis, while there are more than 1.2 million expatriates living in Sharjah. For Emiratis, the population of females outnumbers males. However, there are significantly more male expatriates than females.
Breaking down the population by age group shows that the largest group is in the 20 to 39 demographic, which makes up over 769,000 people. There are over 57,000 full-time students living in Sharjah.
There are approximately 40,000 people that are unemployed. Most people within the city work for the private sector, but approximately 75,000 work jobs for local or federal governments.
The official language is Arabic, but English is another language that is spoken throughout the city. There are other languages also spoken in Sharjah, including Hindi and Urdu. The majority of residents follow the Islam religion.
| 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% |