United Arab Emirates vs United Kingdom
United Arab Emirates vs United Kingdom: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 63,000 people in United Arab Emirates and 153,000 people in United Kingdom, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 90,000 people, or 2.43 times that in United Arab Emirates.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- United Kingdom has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, United Arab Emirates ranked 63 and United Kingdom ranked 41 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 63,000 | 153,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 63,000 | 149,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 63,000 | 148,500 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 63,000 | 148,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 63,000 | 150,300 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 63,000 | 152,400 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 63,000 | 154,700 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 63,000 | 159,200 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 51,000 | 169,200 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 51,000 | 165,700 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 51,000 | 174,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 51,000 | 178,500 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 51,000 | 160,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 51,000 | 160,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 51,000 | 181,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 51,000 | 217,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 50,000 | 205,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 50,500 | 212,600 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 41,500 | 210,400 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 66,000 | 211,400 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 66,000 | 212,500 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 65,500 | 218,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 65,500 | 218,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 65,500 | 218,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 65,500 | 221,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 71,000 | 233,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 60,000 | 257,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 55,000 | 271,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 55,000 | 293,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 66,000 | 301,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 66,000 | 308,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 43,000 | 318,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 43,000 | 334,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 44,000 | 336,000 | – |
| 1983 | 44,000 | 333,000 | – |
| 1982 | 44,000 | 335,000 | – |
| 1981 | 44,000 | 341,000 | – |
| 1980 | 44,000 | 330,000 | – |
| 1979 | 25,000 | 324,000 | – |
| 1978 | 25,000 | 320,000 | – |
| 1977 | 25,000 | 326,000 | – |
| 1976 | 27,000 | 337,000 | – |
| 1975 | 21,000 | 348,000 | – |
| 1974 | 19,000 | 359,000 | – |
| 1973 | 11,000 | 377,000 | – |
| 1972 | 10,000 | 370,000 | – |
| 1971 | 2,000 | 370,000 | – |
| 1970 | – | 390,000 | – |
| 1969 | – | 390,000 | – |
| 1968 | – | 410,000 | – |
| 1967 | – | 425,000 | – |
| 1966 | – | 425,000 | – |
| 1965 | – | 425,000 | – |
| 1964 | – | 435,000 | – |
| 1963 | – | 450,000 | – |
| 1962 | – | 475,000 | – |
| 1961 | – | 475,000 | – |
| 1960 | – | 519,000 | – |
| 1959 | – | 565,000 | – |
| 1958 | – | 614,000 | – |
| 1957 | – | 702,000 | – |
| 1956 | – | 761,000 | – |
| 1955 | – | 809,000 | – |
| 1954 | – | 839,000 | – |
| 1953 | – | 865,000 | – |
| 1952 | – | 872,000 | – |
| 1951 | – | 826,000 | – |
| 1950 | – | 689,000 | – |
| 1949 | – | 770,000 | – |
| 1948 | – | 847,000 | – |
| 1947 | – | 1.3 million | – |
| 1946 | – | 2.05 million | – |
| 1945 | – | 5.09 million | – |
| 1944 | – | 4.9 million | – |
| 1943 | – | 4.15 million | – |
| 1942 | – | 3.39 million | – |
| 1941 | – | 2.3 million | – |
| 1940 | – | 1.02 million | – |
| 1939 | – | 394,000 | – |
| 1938 | – | 376,000 | – |
| 1937 | – | 350,000 | – |
| 1936 | – | 336,000 | – |
| 1935 | – | 321,000 | – |
| 1934 | – | 318,000 | – |
| 1933 | – | 316,000 | – |
| 1932 | – | 317,000 | – |
| 1931 | – | 319,000 | – |
| 1930 | – | 318,000 | – |
| 1929 | – | 325,000 | – |
| 1928 | – | 330,000 | – |
| 1927 | – | 338,000 | – |
| 1926 | – | 341,000 | – |
| 1925 | – | 342,000 | – |
| 1924 | – | 337,000 | – |
| 1923 | – | 337,000 | – |
| 1922 | – | 368,000 | – |
| 1921 | – | 448,000 | – |
| 1920 | – | 596,000 | – |
| 1919 | – | 1.33 million | – |
| 1918 | – | 4.22 million | – |
| 1917 | – | 4.43 million | – |
| 1915 | – | 4.35 million | – |
| 1914 | – | 532,000 | – |
| 1913 | – | 533,000 | – |
| 1912 | – | 523,000 | – |
| 1911 | – | 376,000 | – |
| 1910 | – | 372,000 | – |
| 1909 | – | 381,000 | – |
| 1908 | – | 364,000 | – |
| 1907 | – | 369,000 | – |
| 1906 | – | 384,000 | – |
| 1905 | – | 394,000 | – |
| 1904 | – | 409,000 | – |
| 1903 | – | 416,000 | – |
| 1902 | – | 489,000 | – |
| 1901 | – | 521,000 | – |
| 1900 | – | 487,000 | – |
| 1899 | – | 331,000 | – |
| 1898 | – | 331,000 | – |
| 1897 | – | 319,000 | – |
| 1896 | – | 315,000 | – |
| 1895 | – | 309,000 | – |
| 1894 | – | 302,000 | – |
| 1893 | – | 294,000 | – |
| 1892 | – | 288,000 | – |
| 1891 | – | 281,000 | – |
| 1890 | – | 278,000 | – |
| 1889 | – | 275,000 | – |
| 1888 | – | 273,000 | – |
| 1887 | – | 273,000 | – |
| 1886 | – | 265,000 | – |
| 1885 | – | 256,000 | – |
| 1884 | – | 240,000 | – |
| 1883 | – | 239,000 | – |
| 1882 | – | 247,000 | – |
| 1881 | – | 247,000 | – |
| 1880 | – | 248,000 | – |
| 1879 | – | 260,000 | – |
| 1878 | – | 261,000 | – |
| 1877 | – | 251,000 | – |
| 1876 | – | 244,000 | – |
| 1875 | – | 245,000 | – |
| 1874 | – | 248,000 | – |
| 1873 | – | 252,000 | – |
| 1872 | – | 254,000 | – |
| 1871 | – | 241,000 | – |
| 1870 | – | 257,000 | – |
| 1869 | – | 270,000 | – |
| 1868 | – | 279,000 | – |
| 1867 | – | 283,000 | – |
| 1866 | – | 286,000 | – |
| 1865 | – | 296,000 | – |
| 1864 | – | 290,000 | – |
| 1863 | – | 312,000 | – |
| 1862 | – | 305,000 | – |
| 1861 | – | 316,000 | – |
| 1860 | – | 347,000 | – |
| 1859 | – | 315,000 | – |
| 1858 | – | 292,000 | – |
| 1857 | – | 272,000 | – |
| 1856 | – | 382,000 | – |
| 1855 | – | 329,000 | – |
| 1854 | – | 234,000 | – |
| 1853 | – | 213,000 | – |
| 1852 | – | 201,000 | – |
| 1851 | – | 198,000 | – |
| 1850 | – | 201,000 | – |
| 1849 | – | 203,000 | – |
| 1848 | – | 208,000 | – |
| 1847 | – | 193,000 | – |
| 1846 | – | 191,000 | – |
| 1845 | – | 178,000 | – |
| 1844 | – | 185,000 | – |
| 1843 | – | 158,000 | – |
| 1842 | – | 184,000 | – |
| 1841 | – | 173,000 | – |
| 1840 | – | 168,000 | – |
| 1839 | – | 159,000 | – |
| 1838 | – | 155,000 | – |
| 1837 | – | 143,000 | – |
| 1836 | – | 143,000 | – |
| 1835 | – | 136,000 | – |
| 1834 | – | 137,000 | – |
| 1833 | – | 144,000 | – |
| 1832 | – | 145,000 | – |
| 1831 | – | 150,000 | – |
| 1830 | – | 140,000 | – |
| 1829 | – | 148,000 | – |
| 1828 | – | 155,000 | – |
| 1827 | – | 155,000 | – |
| 1826 | – | 149,000 | – |
| 1825 | – | 132,000 | – |
| 1824 | – | 132,000 | – |
| 1823 | – | 125,000 | – |
| 1822 | – | 125,000 | – |
| 1821 | – | 139,000 | – |
| 1820 | – | 144,000 | – |
| 1819 | – | 143,000 | – |
| 1818 | – | 173,000 | – |
| 1817 | – | 190,000 | – |
| 1816 | – | 255,000 | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
United Arab Emirates vs United Kingdom
Health
- Life expectancyUnited Arab Emirates: 82.9 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityUnited Arab Emirates: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024United Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityUnited Arab Emirates: 4.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionUnited Arab Emirates: 2.88% in 2017United Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateUnited Arab Emirates: 5.1 per 100,000 people in 2017United Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationUnited Arab Emirates: 10.6 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthUnited Arab Emirates: 3.7% a year in 2023United Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateUnited Arab Emirates: 1.2 births per woman in 2023United Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationUnited Arab Emirates: 86% in 2025United Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025
- Median ageUnited Arab Emirates: 31.2 years in 2023United Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overUnited Arab Emirates: 1.7% in 2023United Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateUnited Arab Emirates: 28.2 per 1,000 people in 2023United Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personUnited Arab Emirates: $41,610 in 2024United Kingdom: $48,420 in 2025
- GDP growthUnited Arab Emirates: 6.2% a year in 2025United Kingdom: 1.2% a year in 2025
- InflationUnited Arab Emirates: 1.3% a year in 2025United Kingdom: 3.4% a year in 2025
- Government debtUnited Arab Emirates: 33.9% of GDP in 2025United Kingdom: 102.1% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingUnited Arab Emirates: 5.64% of GDP in 2014United Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsUnited Arab Emirates: $27.8B in 2014United Kingdom: $88B in 2025
- Military spending per personUnited Arab Emirates: $2,840 in 2014United Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingUnited Arab Emirates: 17% of government spending in 2014United Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025
- National powerUnited Arab Emirates: 0.47% of world capability in 2022United Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersUnited Arab Emirates: 1.02% of the labour force in 2020United Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsUnited Arab Emirates: 868 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsUnited Arab Emirates: 33 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
- CO₂ per personUnited Arab Emirates: 18.26 tonnes in 2024United Kingdom: 4.22 tonnes in 2024
- Internet usersUnited Arab Emirates: 100% in 2024United Kingdom: 95.5% in 2024
- Access to electricityUnited Arab Emirates: 100% in 2024United Kingdom: 100% in 2024
- Forest areaUnited Arab Emirates: 4.6% in 2024United Kingdom: 13.5% in 2024