United Arab Emirates vs United Kingdom
United Arab Emirates vs United Kingdom: Military spending
Military spending: 5.64% of GDP in United Arab Emirates in 2014 and 2.35% of GDP in United Kingdom in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2014 the value was higher in United Arab Emirates, by 3.47 percentage points, or 2.6 times that in United Kingdom.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United Arab Emirates has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1997.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | 2.35 |
| 2024 | – | 2.44 |
| 2023 | – | 2.15 |
| 2022 | – | 2.01 |
| 2021 | – | 2.04 |
| 2020 | – | 2.14 |
| 2019 | – | 1.97 |
| 2018 | – | 1.93 |
| 2017 | – | 1.94 |
| 2016 | – | 1.97 |
| 2015 | – | 2.04 |
| 2014 | 5.64 | 2.17 |
| 2013 | 6.04 | 2.28 |
| 2012 | 5.08 | 2.41 |
| 2011 | 5.47 | 2.49 |
| 2010 | 6.04 | 2.56 |
| 2009 | 5.46 | 2.64 |
| 2008 | 3.67 | 2.48 |
| 2007 | 3.28 | 2.37 |
| 2006 | 3.23 | 2.36 |
| 2005 | 3.66 | 2.42 |
| 2004 | 4.61 | 2.48 |
| 2003 | 4.69 | 2.54 |
| 2002 | 4.88 | 2.47 |
| 2001 | 5.61 | 2.39 |
| 2000 | 8.32 | 2.35 |
| 1999 | 7.67 | 2.41 |
| 1998 | 8.63 | 2.48 |
| 1997 | 6.76 | 2.54 |
| 1996 | – | 2.71 |
| 1995 | – | 2.84 |
| 1994 | – | 3.38 |
| 1993 | – | 3.59 |
| 1992 | – | 3.87 |
| 1991 | – | 4.12 |
| 1990 | – | 3.98 |
| 1989 | – | 4.04 |
| 1988 | – | 4.21 |
| 1987 | – | 4.69 |
| 1986 | – | 5.06 |
| 1985 | – | 5.32 |
| 1984 | – | 5.51 |
| 1983 | – | 5.4 |
| 1982 | – | 5.38 |
| 1981 | – | 4.98 |
| 1980 | – | 5.02 |
| 1979 | – | 4.68 |
| 1978 | – | 4.73 |
| 1977 | – | 4.92 |
| 1976 | – | 5.18 |
| 1975 | – | 5.34 |
| 1974 | – | 5.07 |
| 1973 | – | 4.91 |
| 1972 | – | 5.17 |
| 1971 | – | 5.08 |
| 1970 | – | 5.2 |
| 1969 | – | 5.5 |
| 1968 | – | 5.94 |
| 1967 | – | 6.24 |
| 1966 | – | 6.25 |
| 1965 | – | 6.44 |
| 1964 | – | 6.6 |
| 1963 | – | 6.8 |
| 1962 | – | 6.94 |
| 1961 | – | 6.92 |
| 1960 | – | 7.09 |
| 1959 | – | 7.29 |
| 1958 | – | 7.63 |
| 1957 | – | 7.99 |
| 1956 | – | 8.56 |
| 1955 | – | 9.09 |
| 1954 | – | 10.06 |
| 1953 | – | 10.96 |
| 1952 | – | 10.37 |
| 1951 | – | 8.3 |
| 1950 | – | 7.21 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- Ranks count the 151 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
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 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
- Armed forces personnelUnited Arab Emirates: 63,000 people in 2020United Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020
- 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