GeoRealityMatch
Scenic view of Doha city skyline with traditional dhow boat at dusk along the waterfront.View of Doha skyline with vibrant Katara Cultural Village buildings in foreground, Qatar.

Qatar

Asia · Western Asia

Very high safetyModerate cost of livingVery high development

It is one of the most peaceful countries, and incomes are high. The air is polluted.

vs United Arab Emiratesvs Saudi Arabiavs Kuwait
Safety

31st most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
1.676lower is more peacefulVery high safety
#31 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Homicides
0.1per 100,000 people a yearVery lowUNODC / World Bank · 2022
Safety index
84.8Numbeo's safety index, higher is saferVery highNumbeo · 2026
Money

Incomes above the median country

GNI per person
$74,330national income per person, US dollarsVery high
World Bank · 2025
Rent index
40.0New York = 100Very expensiveNumbeo · 2026
Property price to income
5.7years of median income to buy a median flatVery affordableNumbeo · 2026

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 16% in current dollars from 2006 to 2025, and fell 9% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$100K$200K$128,883 PPP$72,525Inflation, % a year20%0200620102015202020252006, $62,582 a person, $130,705 at PPP, inflation 11.8%2007, $65,954 a person, $127,493 at PPP, inflation 13.8%2008, $80,781 a person, $129,506 at PPP, inflation 15.1%2009, $60,786 a person, $129,387 at PPP, inflation -4.9%2010, $77,387 a person, $152,121 at PPP, inflation -2.4%2011, $103,262 a person, $174,620 at PPP, inflation 1.1%2012, $108,470 a person, $180,939 at PPP, inflation 2.3%2013, $103,697 a person, $169,203 at PPP, inflation 3.2%2014, $95,841 a person, $148,389 at PPP, inflation 3.3%2015, $68,985 a person, $102,546 at PPP, inflation 1.8%2016, $61,254 a person, $89,935 at PPP, inflation 2.7%2017, $63,280 a person, $99,358 at PPP, inflation 0.4%2018, $71,040 a person, $110,033 at PPP, inflation 0.3%2019, $66,841 a person, $107,502 at PPP, inflation -0.7%2020, $51,684 a person, $82,149 at PPP, inflation -2.5%2021, $71,752 a person, $116,833 at PPP, inflation 2.3%2022, $88,701 a person, $122,901 at PPP, inflation 5%2023, $80,196 a person, $129,025 at PPP, inflation 3%2024, $75,685 a person, $126,713 at PPP, inflation 1.3%2025, $72,525 a person, $128,883 at PPP$0$100K$200KInflation, % a year20%0200620102015202020252006, $62,582 a person, $130,705 at PPP, inflation 11.8%2007, $65,954 a person, $127,493 at PPP, inflation 13.8%2008, $80,781 a person, $129,506 at PPP, inflation 15.1%2009, $60,786 a person, $129,387 at PPP, inflation -4.9%2010, $77,387 a person, $152,121 at PPP, inflation -2.4%2011, $103,262 a person, $174,620 at PPP, inflation 1.1%2012, $108,470 a person, $180,939 at PPP, inflation 2.3%2013, $103,697 a person, $169,203 at PPP, inflation 3.2%2014, $95,841 a person, $148,389 at PPP, inflation 3.3%2015, $68,985 a person, $102,546 at PPP, inflation 1.8%2016, $61,254 a person, $89,935 at PPP, inflation 2.7%2017, $63,280 a person, $99,358 at PPP, inflation 0.4%2018, $71,040 a person, $110,033 at PPP, inflation 0.3%2019, $66,841 a person, $107,502 at PPP, inflation -0.7%2020, $51,684 a person, $82,149 at PPP, inflation -2.5%2021, $71,752 a person, $116,833 at PPP, inflation 2.3%2022, $88,701 a person, $122,901 at PPP, inflation 5%2023, $80,196 a person, $129,025 at PPP, inflation 3%2024, $75,685 a person, $126,713 at PPP, inflation 1.3%2025, $72,525 a person, $128,883 at PPP

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
82.5years, at birthVery high
#22 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
84WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100Very highWHO · 2023
Air pollution
58.1PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageVery highWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Very fast home internet

Unemployment rate
0.1%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
Home internet
197 Mbpsmedian download speedVery fastOokla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiency
469EF English Proficiency Index scoreLowEF EPI · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet197 MbpsVery fast
Mobile583 MbpsVery fast

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

View of Doha skyline with vibrant Katara Cultural Village buildings in foreground, Qatar.
How it changed

Qatar's Human Development Index

0.886Very high human development

43rd of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 8th 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. #41Croatia0.889
  2. #41Latvia0.889
  3. #43Qatar0.886
  4. #44Slovakia0.880
  5. #45Chile0.878
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1990

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.767 in 1990 to 0.886 in 2023.

0.700.820.950.88619902000201020231990: 0.7671991: 0.7681992: 0.7701993: 0.7781994: 0.7841995: 0.7881996: 0.7911997: 0.7941998: 0.7961999: 0.7962000: 0.7952001: 0.7952002: 0.7982003: 0.8042004: 0.8072005: 0.8152006: 0.8222007: 0.8312008: 0.8392009: 0.8382010: 0.8342011: 0.8352012: 0.8462013: 0.8592014: 0.8572015: 0.8602016: 0.8612017: 0.8702018: 0.8762019: 0.8802020: 0.8722021: 0.8662022: 0.8832023: 0.8860.700.820.9519902000201020231990: 0.7671991: 0.7681992: 0.7701993: 0.7781994: 0.7841995: 0.7881996: 0.7911997: 0.7941998: 0.7961999: 0.7962000: 0.7952001: 0.7952002: 0.7982003: 0.8042004: 0.8072005: 0.8152006: 0.8222007: 0.8312008: 0.8392009: 0.8382010: 0.8342011: 0.8352012: 0.8462013: 0.8592014: 0.8572015: 0.8602016: 0.8612017: 0.8702018: 0.8762019: 0.8802020: 0.8722021: 0.8662022: 0.8832023: 0.886

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

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
82.5 years2024at birthUp 5.6 years from 76.9 years in 2005
Internet users
98%2024of people onlineUp 69 points from 29% in 2006
Urban population
99%2025of people in towns and citiesUp 2 points from 98% in 2006
Births per woman
1.722024births per womanDown 0.92 from 2.64 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
0%2021of energy usedLevel with 2004
Access to electricity
100%2024of people with electricityLevel with 2005
Infant mortality
52024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 4 from 9 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
47.3 t2024of CO2 per person a yearDown 5.4 t from 52.8 t in 2005
Forest area
0%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

No income tax and high expat salaries; small and wealthy, with an extremely hot climate. The case for living here is peace, high incomes and long lives. The case against is polluted air and little English among locals.

About Qatar

Qatar is a small Gulf state that has transformed itself within a generation from a pearl-fishing settlement into a global hub of architecture, sport, and cultural institutions, most visibly in the museums and skyline of Doha. The culture is Gulf Arab at its heart, shaped by Bedouin hospitality and Islamic tradition, even as it hosts the world's attention. Those with an interest in rapid transformation, contemporary art, or Middle Eastern culture in a very accessible form will find it worth exploring.

Practical facts

  • CapitalDoha
  • LanguagesArabic
  • CurrencyQatari riyal (QAR)
  • Area11,490 km²
  • Plug typeType G
  • Drives on theright
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Quick answers

What is Qatar's Human Development Index?

Qatar's Human Development Index is 0.886 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #43 of 193 by UNDP.

Is Qatar safe?

Qatar scores 1.68 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #31 of 161 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

How expensive is Qatar?

Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Qatar at 50.4 (New York = 100); that is #100 cheapest of 143 countries with data.

What is life expectancy in Qatar?

Life expectancy at birth in Qatar is 82.5 yrs (World Bank), ranked #22 of 195 countries.

What is the quality of life in Qatar?

Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores Qatar at 182.7, ranked #18 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.