United Arab Emirates Demographics

Population of the United Arab Emirates (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of the United Arab Emirates

U.A.E. Population
11,574,682
see live
Yearly Change
+2.02%
Global Share
0.14%
Global Rank

Median Age

The median age in the United Arab Emirates is 31.6 years (2026).

Fertility in the U.A.E.

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.21
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in the U.A.E.

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
83.4
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
84.6
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
82.6
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in the United Arab Emirates


Infant Mortality
4.7
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
5.7
(per 1,000 live births)


United Arab Emirates Urban Population

Currently, 86.1% of the population of the United Arab Emirates is urban (9,966,027 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in the United Arab Emirates is 138 people per km² (359 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 83,600 km² (32,278 sq. miles).

Largest Cities in the U.A.E.

All 20 cities, ranked by population estimates for July 1, 2023 (by Statistics offices of the emirates, United Arab Emirates).

RankCityPopulation
1Dubai3,570,099
2Abu Dhabi1,750,000
3Sharjah City1,610,000
4Al Ain690,000
5'Ajman557,071
6Ras al-Khaimah263,000(2015 estimate)
7Fujairah City114,356
8Umm al-Quwain75,000(2015 estimate)
9Khor Fakkan53,000
10Kalba'51,000
11Dibba49,333
12Ad-Dhaid33,000
13Al-Hamriyah19,000
14Al-Madam18,000
15Hatta15,792
16Dibba15,000
17Masfoutincl. Sayḥ Muzayra'10,215
18Al-Bataeh7,000
19Manama6,600
20Mileiha6,000
See all 20 cities in the U.A.E.

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.