Saudi Arabia vs United Arab Emirates: how the neighbours compare
| Indicator | Saudi Arabia | United Arab Emirates | Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | |||
| Population | 37.0m2025 | 11.5m2025 | 43 · 85 |
| Area | 2,149,690 km²2024 | 98,648 km²2024 | 12 · 110 |
| Density | 16.42024 | 154.72024 | 196 · 73 |
| Urban share | 84.6%2025 | 86.0%2025 | 47 · 44 |
| Fertility | 2.312024 | 1.212024 | 84 · 198 |
| Aged 65+ | 3.1%2025 | 1.8%2025 | 195 · 216 |
| Economy | |||
| GDP | $1.3tn2025 | $552bn2024 | 19 · 30 |
| GDP per capita | $34,5372025 | $50,2742024 | 50 · 32 |
| GDP per capita, PPP | $73,7842025 | $79,3442024 | 25 · 19 |
| GDP growth | 4.5%2025 | 4.0%2024 | 63 · 79 |
| Agriculture share | 2.6%2025 | 0.8%2024 | 138 · 176 |
| Industry share | 43.0%2025 | 44.3%2024 | 12 · 10 |
| Services share | 48.9%2025 | 54.9%2024 | 150 · 122 |
| Prices & public finance | |||
| Inflation | 2.0%2025 | 1.3%2025 | 122 · 140 |
| Tax revenue | 8.1%2024 | 0.6%2024 | 128 · 142 |
| Military spending | 6.48%2025 | — | 7 · — |
| Trade & investment | |||
| Exports | 29.7%2025 | 106.8%2023 | 115 · 8 |
| FDI inflows | 2.6%2025 | 8.3%2024 | 81 · 25 |
| Labour | |||
| Unemployment | 3.0%2025 | 2.2%2025 | 147 · 169 |
| Aid, poverty & equality | |||
| Women in parliament | 19.9%2025 | 50.0%2025 | 126 · 7 |
| Education | |||
| Tertiary enrolment | 83.9%2024 | 63.7%2024 | 22 · 60 |
| Education spending | 4.5%2023 | 3.9%2021 | 79 · 106 |
| Health | |||
| Life expectancy | 79.0 yrs2024 | 83.1 yrs2024 | 57 · 21 |
| Infant mortality | 4.72024 | 3.82024 | 151 · 160 |
| Health spending | 5.7%2023 | 5.0%2023 | 113 · 127 |
| Physicians | 3.412023 | 2.992023 | 48 · 60 |
| Digital & energy access | |||
| Internet users | 100.0%2024 | 100.0%2024 | 3 · 4 |
| Fixed broadband | 44.12024 | 40.82024 | 18 · 23 |
| Electricity access | 100.0%2024 | 100.0%2024 | 93 · 114 |
| Environment | |||
| CO₂ per person | 18.48 t2024 | 18.26 t2024 | 8 · 9 |
| Renewable energy | 0.1%2021 | 1.0%2021 | 205 · 191 |
| Forest cover | 1.3%2024 | 4.6%2024 | 195 · 182 |
Higher value in each row is highlighted; it is not always the better one (think inflation or emissions). Ranks are world positions.
GDP per capita
Saudi ArabiaUnited Arab Emirates
Life expectancy
Saudi ArabiaUnited Arab Emirates
Population
Saudi ArabiaUnited Arab Emirates
Internet users
Saudi ArabiaUnited Arab Emirates
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
more head-to-heads