United Arab Emirates Population
United Arab Emirates had an estimated population of 11,513,149 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 85th most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.14% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +4.68% a year.
United Arab Emirates at a glance
How United Arab Emirates's population is changing
United Arab Emirates's population is growing fast: +4.68% a year, which works out to about +539,180 people per year, or +1,476 a day. Births (9.8 per 1,000) and deaths (1.0 per 1,000) alone would give +0.88% a year; net migration adds about 158,634 people a year (+1.38%). Roughly one in every 714 people on Earth lives in United Arab Emirates.
Population of United Arab Emirates since 1960
In 1960, United Arab Emirates had 131,334 people. By 2025 that was 11,513,149 — 87.7× larger. The fastest growth came between 1968 and 1978, when the population rose by 306%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 131,334 | — |
| 1970 | 286,536 | +118.2% |
| 1980 | 1,015,700 | +254.5% |
| 1990 | 1,898,220 | +86.9% |
| 2000 | 3,493,575 | +84.0% |
| 2010 | 6,869,838 | +96.6% |
| 2020 | 9,401,038 | +36.8% |
| 2025 | 11,513,149 | +22.5% |
United Arab Emirates from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put United Arab Emirates at about 40,153 people in 1800; the UN estimates 11,346,006 in 2025 (283× 1800) and projects 26,134,296 for 2100 in its medium scenario. That is still 130% growth over the rest of this century.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 40,153 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 40,153 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 48,933 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 74,532 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 3,493,583 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 11,346,006 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 15,367,397 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 20,474,294 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 26,134,296 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in United Arab Emirates
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 11,513,149. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dubai | 5,283,789 | UN urban centre | 45.89% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Sharjah | 1,800,000 | GeoNames settlement | 15.63% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 3 | Abu Dhabi | 1,016,460 | UN urban centre | 8.83% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 4 | Al Ain City | 846,747 | GeoNames settlement | 7.35% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 5 | Ajman | 490,035 | GeoNames settlement | 4.26% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 6 | Ras Al Khaimah | 345,621 | UN urban centre | 3.00% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 7 | Musaffah | 243,341 | GeoNames settlement | 2.11% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 8 | Jebel Ali | 210,000 | GeoNames settlement | 1.82% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Warīsān | 108,759 | GeoNames settlement | 0.94% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 10 | Khalifah A City | 85,374 | GeoNames settlement | 0.74% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How United Arab Emirates compares
United Arab Emirates has almost the same population as Dominican Republic (11,520,487).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs United Arab Emirates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #83 |  Jordan | 11,520,684 | +0% | compare → |
| #84 |  Dominican Republic | 11,520,487 | +0% | compare → |
| #86 |  Honduras | 11,005,850 | −4% | compare → |
| #87 |  Cuba | 10,937,203 | −5% | compare → |
Compare United Arab Emirates with any country →
Same region (Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan): Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, Algeria, Iraq, Afghanistan.
Explore around United Arab Emirates
Land neighbours (2)
Saudi Arabia 36,973,555 · 3.2× the population · compare
Oman 5,494,691 · 2.1× smaller · compare
United Arab Emirates's 2 neighbours together hold 42,468,246 people — 3.7× United Arab Emirates's population. The most populous is Saudi Arabia (36,973,555).
In its region
United Arab Emirates is the 13th most populous of the 23 economies in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, holding 1.4% of the region's 828,025,185 people.
Rankings featuring United Arab Emirates
Cities
Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain City, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Musaffah, Jebel Ali — all United Arab Emirates's cities on the map.
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About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.