Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) was 79.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
79.8%
Change on year
up 4.0%
World rank
5th
of 178 countries
All-time high
79.8%
in 2024
All-time low
69.4%
in 2009
Years of data
15
1975–2024

Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Arab Emirates, 1975–2024

0204060801975199920241975: 721980: 74.41995: 73.82005: 75.12008: 69.72009: 69.42016: 79.32017: 78.82018: 79.22019: 78.32020: 76.92021: 74.42022: 75.22023: 76.82024: 79.8

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

United Arab Emirates recorded 79.8% for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in 2024. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.0% on the previous year and up 0.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Arab Emirates peaked at 79.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 69.4%, in 2009.

United Arab Emirates ranks 5th of 178 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Arab Emirates, year by year

Annual values for Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) in United Arab Emirates, 1975 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1975 72.0%
1980 74.4% +3.3%
1995 73.8% -0.7%
2005 75.1% +1.7%
2008 69.7% -7.2%
2009 69.4% -0.4%
2016 79.3% +14.3%
2017 78.8% -0.6%
2018 79.2% +0.5%
2019 78.3% -1.1%
2020 76.9% -1.8%
2021 74.4% -3.2%
2022 75.2% +1.0%
2023 76.8% +2.1%
2024 79.8% +4.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 72.0% 72.0% 72.0% 1
1980s 74.4% 74.4% 74.4% 1
1990s 73.8% 73.8% 73.8% 1
2000s 71.4% 69.4% 75.1% 3
2010s 78.9% 78.3% 79.3% 4
2020s 76.6% 74.4% 79.8% 5

Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates

  1. 2 Qatar 87.9% compare
  2. 3 Tanzania, United Republic of 83.2% compare
  3. 4 Isle of Man 81.9% compare
  4. 6 Cambodia 79.8% compare
  5. 7 Faroe Islands 79.6% compare
  6. 8 Niger 79.3% compare

See the full ranking of 209 places →

More work & labour data for United Arab Emirates

All data for United Arab Emirates →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Arab Emirates?
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Arab Emirates was 79.8% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The highest recorded value was 79.8% in 2024.
What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The lowest recorded value was 69.4% in 2009.
How does United Arab Emirates rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%)?
United Arab Emirates ranks 5th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
Is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Arab Emirates. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-to-population-ratio-15-total-percent-national-estimate/united-arab-emirates/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
209 places, 4,960 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.