Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · High income
United Arab Emirates: the economy in numbers
Per person: $50,274, or $79,344 at purchasing power parity. Population: 11.5 million (2025).
$552B+6.2%real GDP growth, 2025
GDP in 2024, current US dollars: #30 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: −3.9%.
GDP per capita
$50,274
2024 · #32 of 204
GDP per capita, PPP
$79,344
2024 · #19 of 197
Inflation
1.3%
2025 · IMF forecast 2026: 4.5%
Government debt
33.9%
2025 · % of GDP, general government
Population
11.5M
2025 · #85 of 217
Unemployment
2.2%
2025 · ILO estimate
Stock market capitalization
190.9%
2024 · % of GDP · $1.05T
Life expectancy
83.1 years
2024
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $5.69 billion in 1970, $567 billion in 2024.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $19,869 per person in 1970, $51,640 in 2024.
GDP per capitaGDP per capita, PPP (international $)
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 2.4% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1971: 9 of 55.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose by 42.3% from 2007 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 12.3% in 2008.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 1999: 35.7% of GDP in 2021. IMF forecast for 2031: 26.1%.
General government (IMF)Central government only (World Bank)
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Stock market capitalization, % of GDP
In 2024 listed domestic companies were worth $1.05 trillion, or 190.9% of GDP.
Population
1960: 131,334 · 2025: 11.5 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 1.6% · 2025: 2.2%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 50.7 years · 2024: 83.1 years.
Exports of goods and services
2001: 49.2% · 2023: 106.8%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Stock market, % GDP | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 3.5%f | 2.0%f | 26.1%f | ||||||||
| 2030 | 3.7%f | 2.0%f | 27.0%f | ||||||||
| 2029 | 5.9%f | 2.0%f | 27.4%f | ||||||||
| 2028 | 7.0%f | 2.0%f | 29.0%f | ||||||||
| 2027 | 7.7%f | 2.5%f | 30.8%f | ||||||||
| 2026 | −3.9%f | 4.5%f | 32.8%f | ||||||||
| 2025 | 6.2% | 1.3% | 33.9% | 11.5M | 2.2% | ||||||
| 2024 | $552B | $50,274 | $79,344 | 4.0% | 1.7% | 33.2% | 11M | 2.2% | 190.9% | 83.1 | |
| 2023 | $523B | $49,851 | $78,020 | 4.3% | 1.6% | 31.9% | 10.5M | 2.2% | 190.2% | 82.9 | 106.8% |
| 2022 | $511B | $50,760 | $75,060 | 7.5% | 5.3% | 31.5% | 10.1M | 2.9% | 170.8% | 80.5 | 102.1% |
| 2021 | $422B | $44,118 | $68,580 | 4.6% | 0.2% | 35.7% | 9.58M | 3.1% | 131.4% | 79.1 | 100.6% |
| 2020 | $357B | $37,992 | $66,791 | −8.7% | −2.1% | 30.1% | 9.4M | 4.3% | 82.5% | 81.9 | 98.1% |
| 2019 | $434B | $45,939 | $79,816 | 1.3% | −1.9% | 25.8% | 9.45M | 2.3% | 56.9% | 82.6 | 93.3% |
| 2018 | $441B | $47,135 | $77,446 | 1.5% | 3.1% | 20.7% | 9.35M | 2.2% | 52.5% | 82.4 | 90.8% |
| 2017 | $403B | $43,734 | $70,282 | −1.1% | 2.0% | 21.2% | 9.22M | 2.5% | 57.5% | 82.4 | 94.7% |
| 2016 | $382B | $42,721 | $69,987 | 5.7% | 1.6% | 18.6% | 8.94M | 1.6% | 55.9% | 82.2 | 94.5% |
| 2015 | $382B | $44,910 | $73,986 | 7.1% | 4.1% | 15.6% | 8.51M | 1.8% | 51.3% | 82.1 | 93.9% |
| 2014 | $425B | $52,725 | $87,478 | 4.6% | 2.3% | 13.5% | 8.06M | 2.0% | 47.4% | 82.0 | 94.8% |
| 2013 | $410B | $53,247 | $87,526 | 4.9% | 1.1% | 15.3% | 7.69M | 2.1% | 44.0% | 82.0 | 95.8% |
| 2012 | $393B | $53,142 | $89,198 | 4.7% | 0.7% | 20.2% | 7.39M | 2.3% | 25.8% | 81.9 | 95.6% |
| 2011 | $369B | $51,922 | $89,665 | 6.7% | 0.9% | 20.4% | 7.1M | 2.6% | 25.4% | 81.9 | 85.6% |
| 2010 | $308B | $44,795 | $85,120 | 1.6% | 0.9% | 18.3% | 6.87M | 2.8% | 42.7% | 81.9 | 77.4% |
| 2009 | $254B | $37,803 | $84,780 | −5.2% | 1.6% | 21.1% | 6.71M | 2.9% | 54.5% | 81.7 | 79.7% |
| 2008 | $315B | $50,054 | $94,628 | 3.2% | 12.3% | 8.9% | 6.3M | 2.8% | 34.0% | 81.6 | 78.9% |
| 2007 | $258B | $45,855 | $100,813 | 3.2% | 11.1% | 8.9% | 5.62M | 2.9% | 48.9% | 81.4 | 72.4% |
| 2006 | $222B | $44,343 | $106,814 | 9.8% | 9.3% | 5.1% | 5.01M | 3.0% | 81.2 | 68.6% | |
| 2005 | $181B | $38,719 | $101,301 | 4.9% | 6.2% | 4.5% | 4.66M | 3.1% | 80.8 | 67.6% | |
| 2004 | $148B | $33,377 | $98,661 | 9.6% | 5.0% | 4.1% | 4.43M | 3.0% | 80.3 | 63.6% | |
| 2003 | $124B | $29,660 | $92,636 | 8.8% | 3.1% | 3.3% | 4.19M | 2.9% | 79.6 | 55.9% | |
| 2002 | $110B | $27,754 | $88,466 | 2.4% | 2.9% | 3.4% | 3.96M | 2.7% | 78.7 | 49.5% | |
| 2001 | $103B | $27,745 | $90,370 | 1.4% | 2.8% | 2.7% | 3.72M | 2.4% | 77.6 | 49.2% | |
| 2000 | $104B | $29,866 | $92,899 | 10.9% | 1.3% | 3.1% | 3.49M | 2.2% | 76.3 | ||
| 1999 | $84.4B | $25,856 | $87,658 | 2.9% | 2.1% | 4.7% | 3.27M | 2.2% | 75.0 | ||
| 1998 | $75.7B | $24,889 | $90,229 | 0.3% | 2.0% | 3.04M | 2.1% | 73.7 | |||
| 1997 | $78.8B | $27,983 | $96,009 | 8.2% | 3.0% | 2.82M | 1.9% | 72.6 | |||
| 1996 | $73.6B | $28,323 | $94,620 | 5.8% | 3.0% | 2.6M | 1.8% | 71.8 | |||
| 1995 | $65.7B | $27,003 | $93,702 | 6.7% | 4.3% | 2.43M | 1.8% | 71.4 | |||
| 1994 | $59.3B | $25,473 | $89,959 | 6.9% | 5.7% | 2.33M | 1.8% | 71.2 | |||
| 1993 | $55.6B | $25,033 | $86,330 | 1.3% | 5.3% | 2.22M | 1.9% | 71.2 | |||
| 1992 | $54.2B | $25,648 | $87,509 | 3.3% | 6.4% | 2.11M | 1.7% | 71.2 | |||
| 1991 | $51.6B | $25,691 | $87,250 | 0.9% | 3.4% | 2.01M | 1.6% | 71.1 | |||
| 1990 | $50.7B | $26,710 | $88,455 | 18.3% | 0.6% | 1.9M | 71.1 | ||||
| 1989 | $41.5B | $23,167 | 12.3% | 2.8% | 1.79M | 71.0 | |||||
| 1988 | $36.3B | $21,570 | −2.6% | 5.0% | 1.68M | 70.8 | |||||
| 1987 | $36.4B | $23,113 | 3.4% | 5.5% | 1.57M | 70.6 | |||||
| 1986 | $33.9B | $23,132 | −15.0% | 5.4% | 1.47M | 70.4 | |||||
| 1985 | $40.6B | $29,468 | −3.6% | 3.5% | 1.38M | 70.1 | |||||
| 1984 | $41.8B | $32,012 | 4.0% | 2.4% | 1.31M | 69.8 | |||||
| 1983 | $42.8B | $34,650 | −4.7% | 1.3% | 1.24M | 69.4 | |||||
| 1982 | $46.6B | $39,972 | −6.7% | 7.1% | 1.17M | 69.1 | |||||
| 1981 | $49.3B | $44,855 | 4.7% | 7.9% | 1.1M | 68.6 | |||||
| 1980 | $43.6B | $42,925 | 23.9% | 10.1% | 1.02M | 68.2 | |||||
| 1979 | $31.2B | $34,238 | 20.9% | 912K | 67.6 | ||||||
| 1978 | $23.8B | $29,379 | −1.6% | 809K | 67.1 | ||||||
| 1977 | $24.9B | $35,020 | 21.4% | 710K | 66.5 | ||||||
| 1976 | $19.2B | $31,197 | 16.5% | 616K | 65.8 | ||||||
| 1975 | $14.7B | $27,117 | 6.2% | 543K | 65.1 | ||||||
| 1974 | $11.7B | $23,823 | 14.5% | 489K | 64.4 | ||||||
| 1973 | $4.23B | $9,696 | 76.6% | 436K | 63.5 | ||||||
| 1972 | $1.42B | $3,675 | 39.1% | 385K | 62.7 | ||||||
| 1971 | $940M | $2,805 | 36.6% | 335K | 61.8 | ||||||
| 1970 | $686M | $2,394 | 287K | 60.8 | |||||||
| 1969 | 240K | 59.8 | |||||||||
| 1968 | 199K | 58.7 | |||||||||
| 1967 | 180K | 57.6 | |||||||||
| 1966 | 174K | 56.6 | |||||||||
| 1965 | 167K | 55.5 | |||||||||
| 1964 | 160K | 54.5 | |||||||||
| 1963 | 152K | 53.5 | |||||||||
| 1962 | 145K | 52.5 | |||||||||
| 1961 | 138K | 51.6 | |||||||||
| 1960 | 131K | 50.7 |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast. Real growth: IMF data for 2025, World Bank for the other years. Inflation: IMF data for 1980–2007, World Bank for the other years.
Nearby economies in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
Afghanistan · Algeria · Bahrain · Djibouti · Egypt · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Libya · Malta · Morocco · Oman · Pakistan · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Syria · Tunisia · United Arab Emirates · West Bank and Gaza · Yemen
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)