Unemployment rate in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Unemployment rate was 2.17 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rate in United Arab Emirates, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in United Arab Emirates stood at 2.17.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 21.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in United Arab Emirates peaked at 4.29 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.63, in 1991.
That places United Arab Emirates 168th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.63 | — |
| 1992 | 1.72 | +5.3% |
| 1993 | 1.9 | +10.8% |
| 1994 | 1.83 | -3.5% |
| 1995 | 1.8 | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 1.84 | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 1.91 | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 2.07 | +8.5% |
| 1999 | 2.19 | +6.1% |
| 2000 | 2.25 | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 2.44 | +8.6% |
| 2002 | 2.66 | +8.8% |
| 2003 | 2.9 | +9.2% |
| 2004 | 2.96 | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 3.12 | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 2.96 | -5.0% |
| 2007 | 2.93 | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 2.82 | -4.0% |
| 2009 | 2.93 | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 2.8 | -4.6% |
| 2011 | 2.59 | -7.5% |
| 2012 | 2.32 | -10.2% |
| 2013 | 2.12 | -8.5% |
| 2014 | 2 | -5.9% |
| 2015 | 1.79 | -10.3% |
| 2016 | 1.64 | -8.5% |
| 2017 | 2.46 | +50.1% |
| 2018 | 2.24 | -9.2% |
| 2019 | 2.33 | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 4.29 | +84.2% |
| 2021 | 3.1 | -27.7% |
| 2022 | 2.87 | -7.5% |
| 2023 | 2.15 | -25.1% |
| 2024 | 2.16 | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 2.17 | +0.6% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 2.17 is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.04, 43% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 2.17 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 9, 24% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate 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 | +84.2% | 2.33 | 4.29 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.88 | 1.63 | 2.19 | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.8 | 2.25 | 3.12 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.23 | 1.64 | 2.8 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.79 | 2.15 | 4.29 | 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 in United Arab Emirates?
- Unemployment rate in United Arab Emirates was 2.17 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 4.29 in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.63 in 1991.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for unemployment rate?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 168th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. 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).