GeoRealityMatch
Sunny desert landscape with Abu Dhabi skyline in the background, showcasing modern architecture and clear blue skies.Experience the iconic Abu Dhabi skyline with a serene beach foreground under a clear blue sky.

United Arab Emirates

Asia · Western Asia

High safetyModerate cost of livingVery high development

Incomes are high, and people live long. The air is polluted.

Digital NomadOffers a digital nomad visa and home internet at 398 Mbps.ExpatCombines very high development and high safety.
vs Saudi Arabiavs Qatarvs Oman
Safety

72nd most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
1.927lower is more peacefulHigh safety
#72 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Homicides
0.7per 100,000 people a yearVery lowUNODC / World Bank · 2022
Safety index
86Numbeo's safety index, higher is saferVery highNumbeo · 2026
Money

Incomes above the median country

GNI per person
$51,550national income per person, US dollarsVery high
World Bank · 2024
Rent index
39.6New York = 100Very expensiveNumbeo · 2026
Property price to income
7.4years of median income to buy a median flatVery affordableNumbeo · 2026

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 13% in current dollars from 2006 to 2024, and fell 27% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$60K$120K$79,344 PPP$50,274Inflation, % a year15%0200620102015202020242006, $44,343 a person, $106,814 at PPP2007, $45,855 a person, $100,813 at PPP2008, $50,054 a person, $94,628 at PPP, inflation 12.3%2009, $37,803 a person, $84,780 at PPP, inflation 1.6%2010, $44,795 a person, $85,120 at PPP, inflation 0.9%2011, $51,922 a person, $89,665 at PPP, inflation 0.9%2012, $53,142 a person, $89,198 at PPP, inflation 0.7%2013, $53,247 a person, $87,526 at PPP, inflation 1.1%2014, $52,725 a person, $87,478 at PPP, inflation 2.3%2015, $44,910 a person, $73,986 at PPP, inflation 4.1%2016, $42,721 a person, $69,987 at PPP, inflation 1.6%2017, $43,734 a person, $70,282 at PPP, inflation 2%2018, $47,135 a person, $77,446 at PPP, inflation 3.1%2019, $45,939 a person, $79,816 at PPP, inflation -1.9%2020, $37,992 a person, $66,791 at PPP, inflation -2.1%2021, $44,118 a person, $68,580 at PPP, inflation 0.2%2022, $50,760 a person, $75,060 at PPP, inflation 5.3%2023, $49,851 a person, $78,020 at PPP, inflation 1.6%2024, $50,274 a person, $79,344 at PPP, inflation 1.7%$0$60K$120KInflation, % a year15%0200620102015202020242006, $44,343 a person, $106,814 at PPP2007, $45,855 a person, $100,813 at PPP2008, $50,054 a person, $94,628 at PPP, inflation 12.3%2009, $37,803 a person, $84,780 at PPP, inflation 1.6%2010, $44,795 a person, $85,120 at PPP, inflation 0.9%2011, $51,922 a person, $89,665 at PPP, inflation 0.9%2012, $53,142 a person, $89,198 at PPP, inflation 0.7%2013, $53,247 a person, $87,526 at PPP, inflation 1.1%2014, $52,725 a person, $87,478 at PPP, inflation 2.3%2015, $44,910 a person, $73,986 at PPP, inflation 4.1%2016, $42,721 a person, $69,987 at PPP, inflation 1.6%2017, $43,734 a person, $70,282 at PPP, inflation 2%2018, $47,135 a person, $77,446 at PPP, inflation 3.1%2019, $45,939 a person, $79,816 at PPP, inflation -1.9%2020, $37,992 a person, $66,791 at PPP, inflation -2.1%2021, $44,118 a person, $68,580 at PPP, inflation 0.2%2022, $50,760 a person, $75,060 at PPP, inflation 5.3%2023, $49,851 a person, $78,020 at PPP, inflation 1.6%2024, $50,274 a person, $79,344 at PPP, inflation 1.7%

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Among the longest-lived countries

Life expectancy
83.1years, at birthVery high
#17 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
84WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100Very highWHO · 2023
Air pollution
34.0PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageVery highWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Very fast home internet

Unemployment rate
2.2%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
Home internet
398 Mbpsmedian download speedVery fastOokla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiency
487EF English Proficiency Index scoreLowEF EPI · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet398 MbpsVery fast
Mobile681 MbpsVery fast

Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median download speed, ranked among the countries Ookla lists.

Visas and moving

Digital nomad visaEasy

Minimum income
$5,000 a month
Duration
12 months
Renewable
Yes
Application fee
$611
  • Tax treatmentExempt
  • Processing timeAbout 7 days
  • Health insuranceRequired
  • DependantsAllowed
  • Apply onlineYes
  • Path to residencyNo
  • NationalitiesOpen to all
Official page
Experience the iconic Abu Dhabi skyline with a serene beach foreground under a clear blue sky.
How it changed

United Arab Emirates's Human Development Index

0.940Very high human development

15th of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 2nd of 43 in Asia.

UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #13Singapore0.946
  2. #13United Kingdom0.946
  3. #15United Arab Emirates0.940
  4. #16Canada0.939
  5. #17Liechtenstein0.938
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1990

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.713 in 1990 to 0.940 in 2023.

0.650.821.000.94019902000201020231990: 0.7131991: 0.7241992: 0.7291993: 0.7361994: 0.7421995: 0.7471996: 0.7531997: 0.7611998: 0.7701999: 0.7802000: 0.7902001: 0.7982002: 0.8052003: 0.8102004: 0.8152005: 0.8192006: 0.8232007: 0.8272008: 0.8312009: 0.8322010: 0.8352011: 0.8392012: 0.8432013: 0.8462014: 0.8532015: 0.8572016: 0.8612017: 0.8842018: 0.9012019: 0.9152020: 0.9092021: 0.9032022: 0.9212023: 0.9400.650.821.0019902000201020231990: 0.7131991: 0.7241992: 0.7291993: 0.7361994: 0.7421995: 0.7471996: 0.7531997: 0.7611998: 0.7701999: 0.7802000: 0.7902001: 0.7982002: 0.8052003: 0.8102004: 0.8152005: 0.8192006: 0.8232007: 0.8272008: 0.8312009: 0.8322010: 0.8352011: 0.8392012: 0.8432013: 0.8462014: 0.8532015: 0.8572016: 0.8612017: 0.8842018: 0.9012019: 0.9152020: 0.9092021: 0.9032022: 0.9212023: 0.940

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 34 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
83.1 years2024at birthUp 2.3 years from 80.8 years in 2005
Internet users
100%2024of people onlineUp 48 points from 52% in 2006
Urban population
86%2025of people in towns and citiesUp 3 points from 83% in 2006
Births per woman
1.212024births per womanDown 1.02 from 2.23 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
1%2021of energy usedUp 1 point from 0% in 2004
Access to electricity
100%2024of people with electricityLevel with 2005
Infant mortality
42024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 4 from 8 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
18.3 t2024of CO2 per person a yearDown 8 t from 26.3 t in 2005
Forest area
4%2023of land under forestLevel with 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

Tax-free income and ultra-modern cities, with strict social laws and very hot summers. The case for living here is high incomes, long lives and wide access to essential health services. The case against is polluted air and little English among locals.

About United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is a federation of Gulf states where the ancient desert culture of the Arabian Peninsula coexists with some of the most ambitious modern architecture and infrastructure on earth, most dramatically in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The country is a global crossroads, and the cultural experience reflects this, with a Bedouin hospitality tradition sitting alongside extraordinary museums, food markets, and desert landscapes. Those who engage beyond the malls and skyscrapers will find a more nuanced culture worth discovering.

Practical facts

  • CapitalAbu Dhabi
  • LanguagesArabic
  • CurrencyUnited Arab Emirates dirham (AED)
  • Area71,020 km²
  • Plug typeType G
  • Drives on theright
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Borders

OmanSaudi Arabia

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Quick answers

What is United Arab Emirates's Human Development Index?

United Arab Emirates's Human Development Index is 0.940 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #15 of 193 by UNDP.

Is United Arab Emirates safe?

United Arab Emirates scores 1.93 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #72 of 161 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

How expensive is United Arab Emirates?

Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts United Arab Emirates at 55.2 (New York = 100); that is #113 cheapest of 143 countries with data.

What is life expectancy in United Arab Emirates?

Life expectancy at birth in United Arab Emirates is 83.1 yrs (World Bank), ranked #17 of 195 countries.

What is the quality of life in United Arab Emirates?

Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores United Arab Emirates at 175.5, ranked #23 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.