United Arab Emirates
Urban population in United Arab Emirates
Urban population in United Arab Emirates: 54.5% in 1950 and 86% in 2025, by UN estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 86%
- Since 1950
- +31.5 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 48 of 229
- counting from the highest
- Projected, 2050
- 87.9%
- UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts it at 87.9% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 86 |
| 2024 | 85.8 |
| 2023 | 85.7 |
| 2022 | 85.5 |
| 2021 | 85.4 |
| 2020 | 85.2 |
| 2019 | 85 |
| 2018 | 84.9 |
| 2017 | 84.7 |
| 2016 | 84.5 |
| 2015 | 84.3 |
| 2014 | 84.1 |
| 2013 | 84 |
| 2012 | 83.8 |
| 2011 | 83.6 |
| 2010 | 83.4 |
| 2009 | 83.2 |
| 2008 | 83 |
| 2007 | 82.8 |
| 2006 | 82.6 |
| 2005 | 82.2 |
| 2004 | 81.5 |
| 2003 | 80.9 |
| 2002 | 80.3 |
| 2001 | 79.8 |
| 2000 | 79.3 |
| 1999 | 78.9 |
| 1998 | 78.6 |
| 1997 | 78.4 |
| 1996 | 78.3 |
| 1995 | 78.3 |
| 1994 | 78.3 |
| 1993 | 78.4 |
| 1992 | 78.4 |
| 1991 | 78.6 |
| 1990 | 78.7 |
| 1989 | 78.8 |
| 1988 | 79 |
| 1987 | 79.2 |
| 1986 | 79.3 |
| 1985 | 79.5 |
| 1984 | 79.7 |
| 1983 | 80 |
| 1982 | 80.3 |
| 1981 | 80.7 |
| 1980 | 81.1 |
| 1979 | 81.8 |
| 1978 | 82.6 |
| 1977 | 83.4 |
| 1976 | 83.9 |
| 1975 | 83.9 |
| 1974 | 83.7 |
| 1973 | 83.2 |
| 1972 | 82.6 |
| 1971 | 82 |
| 1970 | 81.2 |
| 1969 | 80.5 |
| 1968 | 79.8 |
| 1967 | 79.2 |
| 1966 | 78.5 |
| 1965 | 77.8 |
| 1964 | 77.1 |
| 1963 | 76.3 |
| 1962 | 75.5 |
| 1961 | 74.5 |
| 1960 | 73.5 |
| 1959 | 72.3 |
| 1958 | 70.9 |
| 1957 | 69.4 |
| 1956 | 67.7 |
| 1955 | 65.8 |
| 1954 | 63.8 |
| 1953 | 61.6 |
| 1952 | 59.4 |
| 1951 | 57 |
| 1950 | 54.5 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 86.1 |
| 2027 | 86.2 |
| 2028 | 86.4 |
| 2029 | 86.5 |
| 2030 | 86.6 |
| 2031 | 86.7 |
| 2032 | 86.8 |
| 2033 | 87 |
| 2034 | 87.1 |
| 2035 | 87.2 |
| 2036 | 87.2 |
| 2037 | 87.3 |
| 2038 | 87.4 |
| 2039 | 87.5 |
| 2040 | 87.6 |
| 2041 | 87.6 |
| 2042 | 87.7 |
| 2043 | 87.7 |
| 2044 | 87.8 |
| 2045 | 87.8 |
| 2046 | 87.8 |
| 2047 | 87.9 |
| 2048 | 87.9 |
| 2049 | 87.9 |
| 2050 | 87.9 |
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 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