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Index / Demographics
   United Arab Emirates /
Demographics
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Key figures
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Fertility
2.4 children/woman.
MENA rank: 6 of 22.
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Demographics
With comparison tables for all countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
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Through the 20th century, the indigenous population of United Arab Emirates doubled 11 times, the whole population 50 times (foreigners will never obtain citizenship according to Emirati law).
United Arab Emirates is in the middle of enormous expansion, causing the one of the highest net immigration rates in the world, with between 100,000 and 200,000 individuals a year. At present the annual population growth is 3.7%, which is a very high figure. The fertility rate is 2.4 children per mother, a rather moderate figure. Median age is 30 years, making the United Arab Emirates one of the countries in the Middle East with the best balance between young and old. In short, the United Arab Emirates seem to coming close to stabilizing the size its indigenous population.
The growth of United Arab Emirates has caused the original population now only to constitute one quarter of the total. This is all willed by Emirati authorities, and large parts of the immigrants are expected to return home at a point in their lives. How long the United Arab Emirates can continue to be a society with a huge immigrant population and with a fast population growth is an open question. In short this comes down to economic factors, and many new projects suggest that the economy is planned to continue to grow in the coming years.
As so much of the United Arab Emirates's population stays in the country only from its government's grace, there are more factors involved for future development than for many other countries. Projections for the future make the 2050 population reach 10 million, but this figure may well be much lower, as the indigenous population most likely will stabilize at between 1.5 and 2.5 million.
More information of demography is found in other United Arab Emirates articles about ethnic composition, first languages spoken and religious adherence. There is also information relevant to demographics under education and health.
| Year |
|
Density
(per km²) |
Change |
Nationals |
Foreigners |
| 1900 |
70,000 |
0.8 |
|
|
70,000 |
|
|
| 1910 |
76,000 |
0.9 |
9% |
|
76,000 |
|
|
| 1920 |
90,000 |
1 |
18% |
|
90,000 |
|
|
| 1930 |
105,000 |
1 |
17% |
|
105,000 |
|
|
| 1940 |
110,000 |
1 |
5% |
|
110,000 |
|
|
| 1950 |
94,000 |
1 |
15% |
|
94,000 |
|
|
| 1960 |
119,000 |
1 |
27% |
88% |
105,000 |
12% |
14,000 |
| 1970 |
227,000 |
3 |
91% |
75% |
170,000 |
25% |
57,000 |
| 1980 |
1,040,000 |
13 |
360% |
25% |
260,000 |
75% |
780,000 |
| 1990 |
2,250,000 |
27 |
116% |
19% |
430,000 |
81% |
1,820,000 |
| 2000 |
3,550,000 |
43 |
57% |
22% |
790,000 |
78% |
2,760,000 |
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2009
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4,800,000 |
58 |
35% |
24% |
1,170,000 |
76% |
3,630,000 |
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