Refugees
7,634refugees and others in need of protection hosted, 2025
297from it, abroad, 2025
Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder2025
Country page · Updated 13 Nov 2026
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates has 12 m people (World Bank, 2025) and an economy of $552 bn a year (World Bank, 2024). It imports all of its potash supply (FAOSTAT, 2024, estimated).
Written automatically from the figures on this page.
- Population
- 12 m (2025)
- Member of
- BRICS (as of 10 Nov 2026)
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m, which shows who controls an area in practice. Borders shown do not imply endorsement.
- GDPUS$552billion27th of 200World Bank · 2024
- Population12million85th of 216World Bank · 2025
- GDP per personUS$50,27427th of 200World Bank · 2024
- CO2 per person20.1t7th of 213Global Carbon Budget · 2024
Dependencies at a glance
The United Arab Emirates imports all of its potash supply; it exports oil.
Imports mostImports someLow net tradeExporter
| Resource | Dependence | Position | Main partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil | Exporter | Exports 79% of what it producesEIA, use 2024 · UN Comtrade, exports 2025 | Japan, China, India (buyers) |
| Natural gas | Imports some | Imports 17% of the gas it uses PreliminaryEIA, use 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025, United States → United Arab Emirates, Angola → United Arab Emirates and Mozambique → United Arab Emirates as reported by the exporter | United States, Angola, Mozambique |
| Wheat | Imports most | Imported all of the wheat it used in 2008No recent data: the latest balance is from 2008Main partners are from 2023, 15 years after the balanceFAOSTAT, use 2008 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023 | Russia, Canada, Australia |
| Maize | Imports most | Imports 96% of the maize it uses EstimateFAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023 | Argentina, Brazil, South Africa |
| Rice | Not reported by this source | – | |
| Soybeans | Not reported by this source | – | |
| Potash | Imports most | Imports all of its potash supply EstimateFAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025 | No partner data from the source |
| Phosphate | Exporter | Exports exceed recorded supply EstimateGoods passing through, or changes in stocks, can cause this; FAOSTAT’s figures do not show whichFAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, exports 2025 | Zimbabwe, Mauritania, Israel (buyers) |
| Arms | Supplier concentration only | Main supplier: United States, 42% of importsSIPRI, 2021–2025 | United States, France, South Korea |
| Chips | Supplier concentration only | Not reported by this sourceUN Comtrade, 2025 | – |
Dependence is net imports: imports minus exports, as a share of what the country uses; for potash and phosphate, of its supply (production plus net imports). Arms and chips show supplier concentration only: the main supplier’s share of imports (arms: five-year totals of deliveries in SIPRI’s trend-indicator value, SIPRI’s measure of military capability delivered, not price or number of weapons).
- OilExporter
Exports 79% of what it produces
Main partners: Japan, China, India (buyers)
EIA, use 2024 · UN Comtrade, exports 2025
- Natural gasImports some
Imports 17% of the gas it uses Preliminary
Main partners: United States, Angola, Mozambique
EIA, use 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025, United States → United Arab Emirates, Angola → United Arab Emirates and Mozambique → United Arab Emirates as reported by the exporter
- WheatImports most
Imported all of the wheat it used in 2008
No recent data: the latest balance is from 2008
Main partners are from 2023, 15 years after the balance
Main partners: Russia, Canada, Australia
FAOSTAT, use 2008 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023
- MaizeImports most
Imports 96% of the maize it uses Estimate
Main partners: Argentina, Brazil, South Africa
FAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023
- Rice
Not reported by this source
- Soybeans
Not reported by this source
- PotashImports most
Imports all of its potash supply Estimate
Main partners: No partner data from the source
FAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025
- PhosphateExporter
Exports exceed recorded supply Estimate
Goods passing through, or changes in stocks, can cause this; FAOSTAT’s figures do not show which
Main partners: Zimbabwe, Mauritania, Israel (buyers)
FAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, exports 2025
- ArmsSupplier concentration only
Main supplier: United States, 42% of imports
Main partners: United States, France, South Korea
SIPRI, 2021–2025
- ChipsSupplier concentration only
Not reported by this source
UN Comtrade, 2025
Source: EIA; FAOSTAT; SIPRIyear in each rowUpdated 13 Nov 2026
Dependencies toolMoney and reserves
The United Arab Emirates’ economy produced $552 bn in 2024.
GDP, 2000–2024
Source: World Bank Indicators2000–2024Updated 13 Nov 2026
Economic growth4.0%2024 · 73rd of 200 · World Bank
Inflation1.3%2025 · 130th of 169 · World Bank
Unemployment2.2%2025 · 163rd of 181 · World Bank
ReservesUS$238billion2024 · 14th of 164 · World Bank
Trade199% of GDP2023 · 8th of 176 · World Bank
Foreign investment inUS$48.2billion2025 · 10th of 200 · World Bank
US Treasury securities held
US Treasury securities heldUS$116bn2026-08; US$109bn a year earlier
Source: US Treasury TIC2026-08Updated 13 Nov 2026
People
The United Arab Emirates had 12 m people in 2025.
Population, 1950–2100
Projection: UN projection, medium variant, after 2023Range between the UN low- and high-fertility scenarios
Source: UN World Population ProspectsUpdated 13 Nov 2026Projection
The United Arab Emirates’ population by age
1950200020502100
Source: UN World Population Prospects1950–2100Updated 13 Nov 2026Projection
Births per woman1.202023 · 220th of 237 · UN WPP 2024
Median age31.22023 · 125th of 237 · UN WPP 2024
Aged 65 and over1.8%2025, Projection, medium variant · UN WPP 2024
Technology and space
Satellites owned in the United Arab Emirates numbered 25 at the end of 2026.
AI compute share0.1%2025 · 22nd of 36 · Epoch AI
Notable AI models32023 · Epoch AI
Climate and hazards
The United Arab Emirates emitted 222 Mt of CO2 from fossil fuels and cement in 2024.
The United Arab Emirates’ CO2 emissions, million tonnes, 1990–2024
Source: Our World in Data CO21990–2024Updated 13 Nov 2026
CO2 emissions222Mt2024 · 28th of 214 · Global Carbon Budget
CO2 per person20.1t2024 · 7th of 213 · Global Carbon Budget
CO2 since 17505,824Mt2024 · 35th of 214 · Global Carbon Budget
Water stress5.02023 · 7th of 164 · WRI Aqueduct, accessed on 25 Oct 2026, aqueduct.wri.org (CC BY 4.0)
More figures
Shown only where a source covers the United Arab Emirates.
Sanctions
910entries on the US, EU and UK lists give it as an address or nationality: US 676, EU 34 and UK 200
Counts entries (people, companies, ships and aircraft), not how strict the measures are.
Source: US CSL; EU sanctions list; UK Sanctions ListUpdated 13 Nov 2026
Cyber incidents
46publicly known incidents affecting the United Arab Emirates, 2000–2024
Counts compare documented incidents, not how often a country is targeted. Who they were attributed to
Source: EuRepoC Global Dataset of Cyber Incidents 1.3.2 (4 Mar 2025), CC BY-NC 4.02000–2024
All figures
48 measures on this site have a recent figure for the United Arab Emirates.
| GDP | $552 bn | 2024 | 27th of 200 | World Bank |
| GDP per person | $50,274 | 2024 | 27th of 200 | World Bank |
| Economic growth | 4.0% | 2024 | 73rd of 200 | World Bank |
| Inflation | 1.3% | 2025 | 130th of 169 | World Bank |
| Government debt | 34% | 2025 | 149th of 191 | IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026 |
| Government budget balance | 3.9% | 2025 | 11th of 195 | IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026 |
| Current account balance | 13.3% | 2025 | 17th of 194 | IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026 |
| Unemployment | 2.2% | 2025 | 163rd of 181 | World Bank |
| Reserves, including gold | $238 bn | 2024 | 14th of 164 | World Bank |
| Trade | 199% | 2023 | 8th of 176 | World Bank |
| Foreign investment in | $48 bn | 2025 | 10th of 200 | World Bank |
| Population | 12 m | 2025 | 85th of 216 | World Bank |
| Population with UN projections | 11 m | 2023 | 89th of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Births per woman | 1.20 | 2023 | 220th of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Median age | 31.2 | 2023 | 125th of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Life expectancy | 82.9 | 2023 | 24th of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Refugees from the country | 297 | 2025 | 156th of 206 | UNHCR |
| Refugees and others needing protection, by host | 7,634 | 2025 | 117th of 176 | UNHCR |
| Refugees hosted per 1,000 people | 0.7 | 2025 | 120th of 176 | UNHCR |
| Crude oil production | 3,771 kb/d | 2025 | 8th of 214 | EIA |
| Oil consumption | 880 kb/d | 2024 | 25th of 212 | EIA |
| Natural gas production | Preliminary | 2024 | 14th of 213 | EIA |
| Natural gas consumption | 71.8 bcm | 2024 | 10th of 213 | EIA |
| Electricity generated | 179 TWh | 2024 | 26th of 193 | Ember |
| Low-carbon electricity | 30% | 2024 | 109th of 193 | Ember |
| Electricity from coal | 0% | 2024 | 82nd of 193 | Ember |
| Electricity from wind and solar | 8.2% | 2024 | 86th of 193 | Ember |
| Wheat imports | 1.5 Mt | 2024 | 35th of 180 | FAOSTAT |
| Maize production | 0.0 Mt | 2024 | 123rd of 169 | FAOSTAT |
| Maize imports | 0.7 Mt | 2024 | 47th of 196 | FAOSTAT |
| Rice imports | 0.8 Mt | 2024 | 20th of 197 | FAOSTAT |
| Soybean imports | 0.1 Mt | 2024 | 46th of 179 | FAOSTAT |
| Potash fertiliser use | 0.05 Mt | 2024 | 49th of 199 | FAOSTAT |
| Phosphate fertiliser use | 0.00 Mt | 2024 | 117th of 199 | FAOSTAT |
| CO2 emissions | 222 Mt | 2024 | 28th of 214 | Global Carbon Budget |
| CO2 per person | 20.1 t | 2024 | 7th of 213 | Global Carbon Budget |
| CO2 emitted since 1750 | 5,824 Mt | 2024 | 35th of 214 | Global Carbon Budget |
| Net CO2 imports through trade | 18% | 2023 | 68th of 120 | Global Carbon Budget |
| Water stress | 5.0 | 2023 | 7th of 164 | WRI Aqueduct, accessed on 25 Oct 2026, aqueduct.wri.org (CC BY 4.0) |
| Water from abroad | 0% | 2023 | 125th of 193 | FAO AQUASTAT |
| Arms imports | 868 TIV m | 2025 | 9th of 108 | SIPRI |
| Arms exports | 33 TIV m | 2025 | 34th of 44 | SIPRI |
| Satellites in orbit | 25 | 2026 | 20th of 81 | Orbital data from CelesTrak |
| Share of documented AI supercomputer power | 0.1% | 2025 | 22nd of 36 | Epoch AI |
| People using the internet | 100% | 2024 | 1st of 182 | World Bank |
| ICT service exports | $8.3 bn | 2024 | 25th of 162 | World Bank |
| ICT service exports, share of service exports | 4.6% | 2024 | 95th of 162 | World Bank |
| Sanctions list entries (US, EU, UK) | 910 | 2026 | 5th of 181 | US CSL |
Sources for this page
- World Bank IndicatorsGDP, GDP per person, Economic growth, Inflation, Unemployment, Reserves, …
- IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026Debt, Budget balance, Current account
- UN World Population ProspectsPopulation (UN), Births per woman, Median age, Life expectancy
- UNHCR Refugee Data FinderRefugees from, Refugees hosted, Refugees per 1,000
- U.S. Energy Information AdministrationOil output, Oil use, Gas output, Gas use, Dependencies at a glance
- Ember electricity dataElectricity, Low-carbon electricity, Electricity from coal, Electricity from wind and solar
- FAOSTATWheat imports, Maize production, Maize imports, Rice imports, Soybean imports, Potash use, …
- Our World in Data CO2CO2 emissions, CO2 per person, CO2 since 1750, Net CO2 imports through trade
- WRI Aqueduct, accessed on 25 Oct 2026, aqueduct.wri.org (CC BY 4.0)Water stress
- FAO AQUASTATWater from abroad
- SIPRI Arms Transfers DatabaseArms imports, Arms exports, Dependencies at a glance
- CelesTrak SATCATSatellites in orbit
- Epoch AIAI compute share
- US Consolidated Screening ListSanctions list entries, Sanctions
- EU financial sanctions listSanctions
- UK Sanctions ListSanctions
- EuRepoC cyber incidentsCyber incidents
Page last updated 13 Nov 2026How we measure