Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) was 80.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Arab Emirates, 1975–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
United Arab Emirates recorded 80.8% for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in United Arab Emirates peaked at 80.8% in 2025 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 16 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| 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% |
| 2025 | 80.8% | +1.2% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 80.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 59.3%, 1.4× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 80.8% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 46.0%, 1.8× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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 | 77.3% | 74.4% | 80.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
- 2 Qatar 87.9% compare
- 3 Isle of Man 81.9% compare
- 4 Tanzania 81.3% compare
- 6 Faroe Islands 79.6% compare
- 7 Niger 79.3% compare
- 8 Cayman Islands 79.3% compare
More work & labour data for United Arab Emirates
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.9136 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.7692 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 1.09 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.1 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.7766 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 12,158 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,005 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 11,620 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 14,514 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 26,134 1000 No (2100)
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 80.8% in 2025, 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 80.8% in 2025.
- 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 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. 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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About this data
Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.