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
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.
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
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.54 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.7516 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.2042 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.8201 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.794 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 123.74 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 0 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 0 (2025)
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 modelled historical data.