Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 86.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
86.0%
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
54th
of 238 countries
All-time high
86.0%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United Arab Emirates, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
United Arab Emirates recorded 86.0% for do more people live in urban or rural areas? in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United Arab Emirates peaked at 86.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
United Arab Emirates ranks 54th of 238 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.4% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 1.3% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 1.3% | +3.7% |
| 1720 | 1.6% | +16.7% |
| 1730 | 1.8% | +16.7% |
| 1740 | 2.1% | +16.7% |
| 1750 | 2.5% | +16.7% |
| 1760 | 2.9% | +16.7% |
| 1770 | 3.4% | +16.7% |
| 1780 | 4.0% | +16.7% |
| 1790 | 4.6% | +16.7% |
| 1800 | 5.4% | +16.7% |
| 1810 | 6.3% | +16.7% |
| 1820 | 7.3% | +16.7% |
| 1830 | 8.6% | +16.7% |
| 1840 | 10.0% | +16.7% |
| 1850 | 11.7% | +16.7% |
| 1860 | 13.6% | +16.7% |
| 1870 | 15.9% | +16.7% |
| 1880 | 18.5% | +16.7% |
| 1890 | 21.6% | +16.7% |
| 1900 | 25.2% | +16.7% |
| 1910 | 29.4% | +16.7% |
| 1920 | 34.3% | +16.7% |
| 1930 | 40.0% | +16.7% |
| 1940 | 46.7% | +16.7% |
| 1950 | 54.5% | +16.7% |
| 1951 | 57.0% | +4.5% |
| 1952 | 59.3% | +4.2% |
| 1953 | 61.6% | +3.8% |
| 1954 | 63.8% | +3.5% |
| 1955 | 65.8% | +3.2% |
| 1956 | 67.7% | +2.8% |
| 1957 | 69.4% | +2.5% |
| 1958 | 70.9% | +2.2% |
| 1959 | 72.3% | +1.9% |
| 1960 | 73.5% | +1.7% |
| 1961 | 74.5% | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 75.5% | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 76.3% | +1.1% |
| 1964 | 77.1% | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 77.8% | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 78.5% | +0.9% |
| 1967 | 79.2% | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 79.8% | +0.8% |
| 1969 | 80.5% | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 81.2% | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 82.0% | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 82.6% | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 83.2% | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 83.7% | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 83.9% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 83.9% | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 83.4% | -0.6% |
| 1978 | 82.6% | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 81.8% | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 81.1% | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 80.7% | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 80.3% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 80.0% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 79.7% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 79.5% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 79.3% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 79.2% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 79.0% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 78.8% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 78.7% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 78.6% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 78.4% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 78.4% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 78.3% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 78.3% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 78.3% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 78.4% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 78.6% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 78.9% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 79.3% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 79.7% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 80.3% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 80.8% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 81.5% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 82.2% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 82.6% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 82.8% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 83.0% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 83.2% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 83.4% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 83.6% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 83.8% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 84.0% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 84.1% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 84.3% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 84.5% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 84.7% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 84.9% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 85.0% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 85.2% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 85.4% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 85.5% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 85.7% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 85.8% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 86.0% | +0.2% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 86.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 1.1× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 86.0% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 79.5%, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United Arab Emirates changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.1% | 0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1700s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1710s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1720s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1 |
| 1730s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
| 1740s | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1 |
| 1750s | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1 |
| 1760s | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1 |
| 1770s | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 1 |
| 1780s | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% | 1 |
| 1790s | 4.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 1 |
| 1800s | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 1 |
| 1810s | 6.3% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 1 |
| 1820s | 7.3% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 1 |
| 1830s | 8.6% | 8.6% | 8.6% | 1 |
| 1840s | 10.0% | 10.0% | 10.0% | 1 |
| 1850s | 11.7% | 11.7% | 11.7% | 1 |
| 1860s | 13.6% | 13.6% | 13.6% | 1 |
| 1870s | 15.9% | 15.9% | 15.9% | 1 |
| 1880s | 18.5% | 18.5% | 18.5% | 1 |
| 1890s | 21.6% | 21.6% | 21.6% | 1 |
| 1900s | 25.2% | 25.2% | 25.2% | 1 |
| 1910s | 29.4% | 29.4% | 29.4% | 1 |
| 1920s | 34.3% | 34.3% | 34.3% | 1 |
| 1930s | 40.0% | 40.0% | 40.0% | 1 |
| 1940s | 46.7% | 46.7% | 46.7% | 1 |
| 1950s | 64.2% | 54.5% | 72.3% | 10 |
| 1960s | 77.3% | 73.5% | 80.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 82.8% | 81.2% | 83.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 79.8% | 78.8% | 81.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 78.5% | 78.3% | 78.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 81.5% | 79.3% | 83.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 84.2% | 83.4% | 85.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 85.6% | 85.2% | 86.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
- 51 Palestine 87.4% compare
- 52 Western Sahara 86.9% compare
- 53 French Guiana 86.6% compare
- 55 Switzerland 85.7% compare
- 56 Peru 85.6% compare
- 57 Saudi Arabia 84.6% compare
More reference data data for United Arab Emirates
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0407 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.4839 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.6291 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0001 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.6291 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1364 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0486 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0008 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United Arab Emirates?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United Arab Emirates was 86.0% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 86.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- United Arab Emirates ranks 54th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.