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United Arab Emirates: poverty, inequality and aid
Extreme poverty is 0.0% (2018), 151st of 151 in the world and 13th of 13 in the Middle East & North Africa. Poverty, $4.20/day is 0.0% (2018), 151st of 151 in the world and 13th of 13 in the Middle East & North Africa. Poverty, $8.30/day is 0.6% (2018), 138th of 151 in the world and 12th of 13 in the Middle East & North Africa.
Aid, poverty & equality: United Arab Emirates in detail
Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.
| Indicator | Latest | World rank | In region | ~2000 | ~2010 | ~2020 | 10-year change | Region | Income group | World | Since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extreme povertyExtreme poverty, $3.00 a day (2021 PPP), % of population | 0.0%2018 | 151/151 | 13/13 | · | · | 0.0%2018 | — | 14.3% | 0.6% | 10.1% | |
| Poverty, $4.20/dayPoverty at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP), % of population | 0.0%2018 | 151/151 | 13/13 | · | · | 0.0%2018 | — | 26.8% | 0.7% | 18.2% | |
| Poverty, $8.30/dayPoverty at $8.30 a day (2021 PPP), % of population | 0.6%2018 | 138/151 | 12/13 | · | · | 0.6%2018 | — | 59.0% | 1.7% | 46.2% | |
| Gini indexGini index of income inequality | 26.42018 | 143/151 | 13/13 | · | · | 26.42018 | — | — | — | — | |
| Top 10% income shareIncome share held by the richest 10% | 20.5%2018 | 150/151 | 13/13 | · | · | 20.5%2018 | — | — | — | — | |
| Bottom 20% income shareIncome share held by the poorest 20% | 8.2%2018 | 41/151 | 5/13 | · | · | 8.2%2018 | — | — | — | — | |
| UndernourishmentPrevalence of undernourishment, % of population | 2.5%2024 | 163/167 | 19/19 | 2.5%2001 | 5.6% | 2.5% | −1.0 ppsince 2014 | 12.3% | 2.6% | 8.1% | |
| Food insecurityModerate or severe food insecurity, % of population | 4.2%2024 | 146/155 | 15/15 | · | · | · | — | 40.1% | 7.9% | 28.0% | |
| Account ownershipAccount ownership (bank or mobile money), % of adults | 85.7%2021 | 50/145 | 4/20 | · | 59.7%2011 | 85.7%2021 | +26.0 ppsince 2011 | 52.8% | 94.9% | 78.7% | |
| Women in parliamentSeats held by women in national parliament, % | 50.0%2025 | 7/190 | 1/22 | 0.0% | 22.5% | 50.0% | +27.5 ppsince 2015 | 16.9% | 31.2% | 27.2% |
Better than ten years ago
- Undernourishment−1.0 pp2.5% in 2024
- Account ownership+26.0 pp85.7% in 2021
- Women in parliament+27.5 pp50.0% in 2025
Worse than ten years ago
No rated indicator got worse over the decade.
Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).
United Arab Emirates and its neighbours
Countries sharing a land border with United Arab Emirates. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.
| Indicator | United Arab Emirates | Iran | Saudi Arabia | Oman |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extreme poverty | 0.0%2018 | 2.5%2023 | — | — |
| Poverty, $4.20/day | 0.0%2018 | 7.5%2023 | — | — |
| Poverty, $8.30/day | 0.6%2018 | 36.0%2023 | — | — |
| Gini index | 26.42018 | 35.92023 | — | — |
| Top 10% income share | 20.5%2018 | 28.2%2023 | — | — |
| Bottom 20% income share | 8.2%2018 | 7.0%2023 | — | — |
| Undernourishment | 2.5%2024 | 6.7%2024 | 2.5%2024 | 7.1%2024 |
| Food insecurity | 4.2%2024 | 37.7%2024 | — | — |
| Account ownership | 85.7%2021 | 91.1%2024 | 78.8%2024 | 69.5%2024 |