In 2025, the unemployment rate in the United Arab Emirates was 2.17, compared with 2.16 percent in 2024. The United Arab Emirates’ unemployment rate is quite low, and the region has one of lowest number of unemployed persons worldwide.
Oil-based economy
One of the most important economic centers of Western Asia, the United Arab Emirates’ gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to around 424.64 billion U.S. dollars in 2018. The United Arab Emirates’ economy is particularly reliant on oil exports, and it holds the seventh-largest proved oil reserves. Most reserves are located in Abu Dhabi in a combination of offshore and onshore locations.
UAE population
Due to the profitable nature of the petroleum industry and a relatively small population, the country has one of the highest GDP per capita rates in the world, at over 40,700 U.S. dollars in 2018. The country’s population is mostly comprised of expatriate workers, the majority of whom who have cultural backgrounds from South Asia, Egypt, and the Philippines. Most of the country’s population fall between the ages of 15 and 64 years.
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World Bank. (February 24, 2026). Unemployment rate of the United Arab Emirates from 1991 to 2025 [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Retrieved July 22, 2026, from /statistics/297778/uae-unemployment-rate/
World Bank. "Unemployment rate of the United Arab Emirates from 1991 to 2025." Chart. February 24, 2026. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Accessed July 22, 2026. /statistics/297778/uae-unemployment-rate/
World Bank. (2026). Unemployment rate of the United Arab Emirates from 1991 to 2025. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 22, 2026. /statistics/297778/uae-unemployment-rate/
World Bank. "Unemployment Rate of The United Arab Emirates from 1991 to 2025." ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc., 24 Feb 2026, /statistics/297778/uae-unemployment-rate/
World Bank, Unemployment rate of the United Arab Emirates from 1991 to 2025 ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, /statistics/297778/uae-unemployment-rate/ (last visited July 22, 2026)
Unemployment rate of the United Arab Emirates from 1991 to 2025 [Graph], World Bank, February 24, 2026. [Online]. Available: /statistics/297778/uae-unemployment-rate/