United Arab Emirates
GDP growth in United Arab Emirates
GDP growth in United Arab Emirates: -1.8% a year in 1980 and 6.2% a year in 2025, by IMF estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 6.2% a year
- Since 1980
- +8 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 23 of 143
- counting from the highest
- Projected, 2031
- 3.5% a year
- IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts it at 3.5% a year in 2031.
- The highest was 23.6% a year in 1990, the lowest -19.3% a year in 1986.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 6.2 |
| 2024 | 6.6 |
| 2023 | 4.3 |
| 2022 | 7.5 |
| 2021 | 4.6 |
| 2020 | -8.7 |
| 2019 | 1.3 |
| 2018 | 1.5 |
| 2017 | -1.1 |
| 2016 | 5.7 |
| 2015 | 7.1 |
| 2014 | 4.6 |
| 2013 | 4.9 |
| 2012 | 4.7 |
| 2011 | 6.7 |
| 2010 | 7.9 |
| 2009 | -5.2 |
| 2008 | 3.2 |
| 2007 | 3.2 |
| 2006 | 9.8 |
| 2005 | 4.9 |
| 2004 | 9.6 |
| 2003 | 8.8 |
| 2002 | 2.4 |
| 2001 | 1.4 |
| 2000 | 12.3 |
| 1999 | 3.8 |
| 1998 | 0.9 |
| 1997 | 8.6 |
| 1996 | 5.4 |
| 1995 | 6.6 |
| 1994 | 7.4 |
| 1993 | 0.3 |
| 1992 | 3.1 |
| 1991 | 2.2 |
| 1990 | 23.6 |
| 1989 | 15.7 |
| 1988 | -2.6 |
| 1987 | 5.3 |
| 1986 | -19.3 |
| 1985 | -2.5 |
| 1984 | 4.5 |
| 1983 | -5.3 |
| 1982 | -7.2 |
| 1981 | 8 |
| 1980 | -1.8 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|
| 2026 | -3.9 |
| 2027 | 7.7 |
| 2028 | 7 |
| 2029 | 5.9 |
| 2030 | 3.7 |
| 2031 | 3.5 |
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 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 in numbers
Every measure for United Arab Emirates on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending5.64% of GDP in 2014
- Military spending in US dollars$27.8B in 2014
- Military spending per person$2,840 in 2014
- Military share of state spending17% of government spending in 2014
- Armed forces personnel63,000 people in 2020
- National power0.47% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers1.02% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports868 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports33 million TIV in 2025