United Arab Emirates is a country in Asia, known for modern architecture and desert landscapes. It has a population of 11.6 million, making it the 86th largest country in the world. Its capital is Abu Dhabi. United Arab Emirates has a diverse economy with strong tourism and financial sectors.
United Arab Emirates's population structure shows a notably higher male to female ratio of 1.75 to 1, with a median male age of 33.56 years old and a median female age of 30.33 years old. The highest concentration of adults under 75 years old is in the 32 and 33 year-old age groups, while the lowest concentration is in the 74 and 73 year-old age groups.
Data after 2022 is projected based on recent change
* As of 5/14/2026
1 birth
Every 4.4 minutes
1 death
Every 48.0 minutes
1 immigrant
Every 6.0 minutes
1 person
Every 2.7 minutes
98K
100K
250K
500K
750K
1M
2.5M
3.8M
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ |
|---|---|
| Dubai | 3,776,252 |
| Abu Dhabi | 3,210,297 |
| Sharjah | 2,267,755 |
| Ajman | 591,525 |
| Ras Al Khaimah | 468,758 |
| Fujairah | 359,201 |
| Umm Al Quwain | 98,189 |
The United Arab Emirates (also called Emirates or just UAE) is an Arab country in the southeast region of the Arabian Peninsula. The UAE is a federation of 7 emirates, each governed by a hereditary emir who together form the Federal Supreme Council.
The population of the UAE noted for 2016 is 9,157,000 according to UN estimates. Other estimates are as low as 5.7 million but do not take into consideration the high population of immigrants, which are estimated to make up 90% of the population. The estimate is now up to 9,400,145 as of mid-year 2017 from the UN, and the World Factbook still gives a lower estimate of just over 6 million - also from 2017.
The United Arab Emirates has a very diverse population, of which only 10% are UAE nationals and the remainder is made up of expatriates. The UAE has the 7th highest net migration rate in the world at 12.36, as any expatriate is allowed under law to apply for UAE citizenship after living in the country for twenty years, assuming they have not been convicted of a crime and can speak Arabic. The UAE also has the highest gender imbalance in the world with a male/female ratio of 2.2, or 2.75 for the 15-65 age group.
The largest group of non-UAE nationals are South Asian (58%), followed by other Asians (17%) and Western expatriates (8.5%). There is an increasing presence of Europeans, particularly in cities like Dubai. As of 2015, the official estimates stand at Emirati make up approximately 11.6%, South Asian 59.4% (includes Indian 38.2%, Bangladeshi 9.5%, Pakistani 9.4%, other 2.3%), Egyptian 10.2%, Philippine 6.1%, and other backgrounds at 12.8%.
The official language of the UAE is Arabic, and the population also uses Persian, English, Hindi, and Urdu.
The main religion in United Arab Emirates is Muslim (official).
The median age of the UAE is approximately 30.3 years of age, with a total life expectancy of 77.7 years upon birth. 93.8% of the population aged over 15 is literate.
The official religion among the United Arab Emirates is Muslim, coming in at 76% of the population, a 9% Christian following, approximately 10% Hindu or Buddhist faiths, and less than 5% other religions.
The United Arab Emirates has the second-largest economy in the middle east after Saudi Arabia and has a GDP exceeding $377 billion. Except for Dubai, the United Arab Emirates are extremely reliant upon oil, which makes up roughly 85% of the country’s exports. Tourism is also a major industry, and the UAE is home to some of the world’s most luxurious accommodations. Other major industries include banking, commerce, and real estate and UAE is known for upholding great business policies and is considered one of the least corrupt countries in the world.
As a federation os seven constitutional monarchies, political policies aren’t overarching for the United Arab Emirates, each of which has its ruler. Each ruler sets its own rules and has control over the area’s natural resources. The constitution separates powers between executive, legislative and judicial branches- and both the legislative and executive branches are further split into federal and emirate jurisdictions.
Because the United Arab Emirates is made up of seven self-run states, it is hard to determine the actual origin of the country, but it was given its current status in 1892 when Britain made a deal with the Trucial States that would give Britain power over the area’s foreign affairs, but each emirate could control their internal political issues. Any further speculation about the cause of population gains or losses is difficult because of the split nature of the country.