Unemployment rate of men vs. women in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Unemployment rate of men vs. women was 1.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate of men vs. women in United Arab Emirates, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate of men vs. women in United Arab Emirates is 1.6%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 3.7% on the previous year and up 33.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate of men vs. women in United Arab Emirates peaked at 3.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 2016.
That places United Arab Emirates 172nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate of men vs. women in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.6% | — |
| 1992 | 1.6% | +5.6% |
| 1993 | 1.8% | +11.6% |
| 1994 | 1.8% | -3.8% |
| 1995 | 1.7% | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 1.8% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 1.8% | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 2.0% | +9.0% |
| 1999 | 2.1% | +6.4% |
| 2000 | 2.2% | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 2.3% | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 2.4% | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 2.5% | +5.5% |
| 2004 | 2.5% | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 2.5% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 2.4% | -6.0% |
| 2007 | 2.3% | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 2.2% | -5.5% |
| 2009 | 2.3% | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | -6.2% |
| 2011 | 1.9% | -9.8% |
| 2012 | 1.7% | -13.0% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | -11.0% |
| 2014 | 1.4% | -7.8% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | -13.5% |
| 2016 | 1.1% | -11.5% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | +21.9% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 1.4% | +8.0% |
| 2020 | 3.8% | +174.9% |
| 2021 | 2.2% | -43.0% |
| 2022 | 1.5% | -30.3% |
| 2023 | 1.5% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 1.5% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 1.6% | +3.7% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 1.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.9%, 32% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 1.6% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 8.5%, 19% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate of men vs. women in United Arab Emirates changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +174.9% | 1.4% | 3.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 1.1% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.0% | 1.5% | 3.8% | 6 |
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 unemployment rate of men vs. women in United Arab Emirates?
- Unemployment rate of men vs. women in United Arab Emirates was 1.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate of men vs. women recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 3.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate of men vs. women recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2016.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for unemployment rate of men vs. women?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 172nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate of men vs. women rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate of men vs. women. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the male labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.