Air passengers in United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates: Air passengers was 91.06 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
91.06 million
Change on year
up 33.0%
World rank
12th
of 183 countries
All-time high
95.76 million
in 2018
All-time low
127,500
in 1974
Years of data
46
1974–2023

Air passengers in United Arab Emirates, 1974–2023

020.0M40.0M60.0M80.0M100.0M197419982023

Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

United Arab Emirates recorded 91.06 million for air passengers in 2023.

That represents a change of up 33.0% on the previous year and up 33.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, air passengers in United Arab Emirates peaked at 95.76 million in 2018 and was at its lowest, 127,500, in 1974.

That places United Arab Emirates 12th out of 183 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 278,567 127,500 456,500 6
1980s 850,200 521,500 1.48 million 10
1990s 3.60 million 1.69 million 5.84 million 10
2000s 13.65 million 6.89 million 31.76 million 6
2010s 76.02 million 44.95 million 95.76 million 10
2020s 53.52 million 26.12 million 91.06 million 4

Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates

  1. 9 Indonesia 97.05 million compare
  2. 10 Brazil 95.40 million compare
  3. 11 Spain 94.10 million compare
  4. 13 Canada 88.62 million compare
  5. 14 Germany 80.20 million compare
  6. 15 Mexico 78.76 million compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More reference data data for United Arab Emirates

All data for United Arab Emirates →

Frequently asked questions

What is air passengers in United Arab Emirates?
Air passengers in United Arab Emirates was 91.06 million in 2023, according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest air passengers recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The highest recorded value was 95.76 million in 2018.
What is the lowest air passengers recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The lowest recorded value was 127,500 in 1974.
How does United Arab Emirates rank for air passengers?
United Arab Emirates ranks 12th out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
Is air passengers rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
Over the last ten years it is up 33.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
The figures come from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Air passengers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Air passengers
Source
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
183 places, 7,925 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Domestic and international passengers of airlines registered in the country. Passengers counted each time they travel.