Employee compensation as share of government spending in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 32.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Employee compensation as share of government spending in United Arab Emirates, 1997–2023
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
In 2023, employee compensation as share of government spending in United Arab Emirates stood at 32.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.5% on the previous year and down 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in United Arab Emirates peaked at 37.3% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 29.7%, in 2011.
United Arab Emirates ranks 54th of 155 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 36.9% | — |
| 1998 | 36.8% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 36.0% | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 29.7% | -17.6% |
| 2012 | 31.1% | +4.8% |
| 2013 | 32.2% | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 34.3% | +6.3% |
| 2015 | 36.7% | +7.0% |
| 2016 | 34.8% | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 37.3% | +7.0% |
| 2018 | 35.6% | -4.6% |
| 2019 | 34.5% | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 34.3% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 33.1% | -3.6% |
| 2022 | 30.2% | -8.7% |
| 2023 | 32.2% | +6.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 36.5% | 36.0% | 36.9% | 3 |
| 2010s | 34.0% | 29.7% | 37.3% | 9 |
| 2020s | 32.4% | 30.2% | 34.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
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 employee compensation as share of government spending in United Arab Emirates?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in United Arab Emirates was 32.2% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 37.3% in 2017.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.7% in 2011.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 54th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.