United Arab Emirates: official statistics and sources
14 official bodies for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre to Bayanat (UAE Open Data Portal), with key figures from the World Bank and IMF. Official language: Arabic. Capital: Abu Dhabi.
Who holds power in the United Arab Emirates
- Head of state: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (President of the United Arab Emirates)
- Head of government: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Dubai)
- Foreign minister: Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates)
Source: UN Protocol and Liaison Service list, dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Federal monarchy of seven hereditary emirates. How local power works in the United Arab Emirates: 3 tiers of government below the nation, who is elected and who they answer to.
Part of level 6 of the 10 levels of power.
Government, regions and cities
- Government and power in the United Arab Emirates: leaders, governance scores, women in parliament, spending and the bodies that hold power to account
Key figures
What the figures show
World Bank data give a population of 11.5 million for the United Arab Emirates in 2025, against 8.5 million in 2015. Of the 22 UN members in the World Bank's Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan region, 12 have more people; worldwide it comes 85th.
The United Arab Emirates's economy produced $552.3 billion of goods and services in 2024, in current US dollars. That works out at $50,274 a head.
Real GDP grew by 4.0% in 2024, World Bank figures show. For 2026 the IMF expects minus 3.9%.
Across 2025 the annual rate was 1.3%. The IMF forecasts 4.5% for 2026.
The ILO's modelled unemployment rate for 2025 is 2.2%; the national statistics office may publish a different figure from its own survey.
The IMF records general government gross debt of 33.9% of GDP for 2025, compared with a median of 52.5% across the World Bank's Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan region; its 2026 projection is 32.8%.
Life expectancy at birth: 83.1 years (2024).
- Annual inflation since 2015: highest 5.3% (2022), lowest -2.1% (2020).
- Debt ratio 2015: 15.6%; 2025: 33.9%.
- GDP per person in dollars, 2015 to 2024: +12%.
Figures checked 2026-10-13; how they are compiled.
Official sources in the United Arab Emirates
Statistics office prices, jobs, people, output
- Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre
Publishes the UAE's national statistics, including population, prices, national accounts and labour data.
Central bank interest rates and money
- Central Bank of the UAE
Publishes monetary statistics, exchange rates, banking regulations and the financial stability report.
Parliament debates, votes, bills
- Federal National Council (Al-Majlis Al-Watani Al-Ittihadi)
Publishes sessions, draft federal laws reviewed and the list of members.
Government
- The UAE Government portal
Publishes government services, federal policies and information on ministries.
- UAE Cabinet
Publishes cabinet decisions, government strategies and official announcements.
Laws and the official gazette the text of laws
- UAE Legislation
Publishes federal laws, decrees and the Official Gazette of the UAE.
Courts judgments
- Ministry of Justice (federal courts)
Publishes federal court services, legal information and judicial announcements.
Public audit how public money was spent
- UAE Accountability Authority
Publishes information on the audit of federal entities and public funds.
Elections results and rules
- National Election Committee
Publishes electoral college lists, candidate information and Federal National Council election results.
Regulators
- Capital Market Authority
Publishes securities and commodities regulations, licences and enforcement actions.
- Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority
Publishes telecoms regulations, market indicators and digital government policies.
Public registers companies, land, charities
- National Economic Register (NER) (السجل الاقتصادي الوطني)
Ministry of Economy database of business licences across the seven emirates, searchable by name, licence number or activity.
- Dubai Land Department (دائرة الأراضي والأملاك)
Registers property in the emirate of Dubai and publishes real-estate transaction data; land is registered by each emirate.
Open data
- Bayanat (UAE Open Data Portal)
Publishes federal government datasets in open formats.
Freedom of information in the United Arab Emirates
No general access-to-information law for the United Arab Emirates was found in the official sources checked on 2026-10-13. No national access-to-information law could be identified during today's checks of the official sources already listed for this country.
What the United Arab Emirates does not have
- No federal land register; land and property registers are kept by each emirate.
- No public register of charities could be found online.
- No national public procurement portal could be confirmed.
- No access-to-information law and no information commissioner.
- No public register of lobbyists or of officials' asset declarations.
- No official state database of court judgments beyond the Ministry of Justice site, already listed.
Also: World Bank country data · IMF country page · UN Sustainable Development Goals country profile · IPU Parline parliament profile.
The United Arab Emirates by subject
- Economy GDP, growth, trade and investment
- Jobs and pay unemployment, jobs and work
- Cost of living inflation, poverty and inequality
- Public finances debt, deficit, tax and spending
- Health and care life expectancy, doctors and spending
- Housing homes, cities, water and power
- Crime and justice murder rate, courts and crime
- Immigration migrants, refugees and remittances
- Education schools, universities and literacy
- Environment emissions, air, forests and water
Power in the United Arab Emirates, from local government up to the G20
The global bodies above national governments, and the levels of power inside the United Arab Emirates. How the ten levels work.
Level 3: Local councils
- Local government in the United Arab Emirates how councils, regions and municipalities work
Level 6: National government
- The United Arab Emirates: national government this page
- Government and power in the United Arab Emirates who leads, the parliament and the courts
- World leaders every country's head of state and government
Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums
Common questions
What is the population of the United Arab Emirates?
11.5 million (2025, World Bank). National figures: Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre.
What is the inflation rate in the United Arab Emirates?
1.3% (2025, World Bank). Official index: Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre.
What is the United Arab Emirates's GDP?
$552.3 billion (2024, World Bank).
How much government debt does the United Arab Emirates have?
33.9% of GDP (2025, International Monetary Fund).
Who publishes official statistics in the United Arab Emirates?
Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre: https://fcsc.gov.ae/
What is the central bank of the United Arab Emirates?
Central Bank of the UAE: https://centralbank.ae/
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