United Arab Emirates People - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population

9,973,449 (2023 est.)

note: the UN estimated the country's total population was 10,082,000 as of 2022; immigrants make up 88.1% of the total population, according to UN data (2020)

Nationality

noun: Emirati(s)

adjective: Emirati

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.)

note: data represent the total population; as of 2019, immigrants make up about 87.9% of the total population, according to UN data

Languages

Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Malayam, Urdu, Pashto, Tagalog, Persian

major-language sample(s):
كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Arabic audio sample:

Religions

Muslim (official) 76%, Christian 9%, other (primarily Hindu and Buddhist, less than 5% of the population consists of Parsi, Baha'i, Druze, Sikh, Ahmadi, Ismaili, Dawoodi Bohra Muslim, and Jewish) 15% (2005 est.)

note: data represent the total population; as of 2020, immigrants make up about 88.1% of the total population, according to UN data

MENA religious affiliation

Age structure

0-14 years: 16.23% (male 829,266/female 789,187)

15-64 years: 81.77% (male 5,840,920/female 2,314,683)

65 years and over: 2% (2023 est.) (male 15,1340/female 48,053)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 20.3

youth dependency ratio: 18.2

elderly dependency ratio: 2.1

potential support ratio: 47.3 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 38.4 years

male: 40.4 years

female: 31.5 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

0.58% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

10.76 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

1.62 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate

-3.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

population is heavily concentrated to the northeast on the Musandam Peninsula; the three largest emirates - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah - are home to nearly 85% of the population

Urbanization

urban population: 87.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030

Major urban areas - population

3.008 million Dubai, 1.831 million Sharjah, 1.567 million ABU DHABI (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 2.52 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 3.15 male(s)/female

total population: 2.16 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

9 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 5.06 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 4.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 79.75 years

male: 78.39 years

female: 81.2 years (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.62 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.79 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

N/A

Drinking water source

improved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

5.5% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density

2.6 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Hospital bed density

1.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

31.7% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 2.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 1.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

N/A

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

72.4% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

3.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98.1%

male: 98.8%

female: 97.2% (2021)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 16 years

male: 15 years

female: 17 years (2020)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 10.7%

male: 7.9%

female: 19.9% (2021 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding United Arab Emirates on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of United Arab Emirates 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about United Arab Emirates 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.