Credit Card Ownership Statistics in United Arab Emirates (2026)
According to World Bank Global Findex data, 26.8% of adults in the United Arab Emirates owned a credit card in 2021. Down from 45.4% in 2017 to 26.8% in 2021 (−18.6 percentage points). United Arab Emirates ranks #4 of 18 economies in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan on this measure, and #40 of 142 globally.
Key Statistics
- Latest value (2021)
- 26.8% (2021)
- Credit Card Ownership in the United Arab Emirates as of 2021, the most recent observation in World Bank Global Findex data.
- Change since 2017
- −18.6 pp (2021)
- Down from 45.4% in 2017 to 26.8% in 2021 (−18.6 percentage points).
- Earliest value in this dataset (2011)
- 30% (2011)
- Earliest observation in this dataset, which covers 1990 onward (the source series may begin earlier). Down from 30% in 2011 to 26.8% in 2021.
- Peak value (2017)
- 45.4% (2017)
- Highest value in the available series; the 2021 value is 26.8%.
- Rank in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- #4 of 18 (2021)
- The United Arab Emirates ranks 4 of 18 countries in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan with data, based on each country's latest value.
- Global rank
- #40 of 142 (2021)
- The United Arab Emirates ranks 40 of 142 countries with data globally.
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan average
- 14.4% (2021)
- The United Arab Emirates (26.8%) is above the average of 14.4% across the 18 countries in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan with data.
- Among women (2021)
- 25.6% (2021)
- Value for women in the United Arab Emirates, same 2021 World Bank Global Findex data.
- Among men (2021)
- 27.3% (2021)
- Value for men in the United Arab Emirates, same 2021 World Bank Global Findex data.
- Gender gap (women minus men)
- −1.6 pp (2021)
- In 2021, the figure was 25.6% for women and 27.3% for men — 1.6 percentage points lower among women.
- Internet use in the United Arab Emirates (2024)
- 100% (2024)
- 100% of the population in the United Arab Emirates used the internet in 2024 (World Bank); shown for context only.
- Population (2024)
- 11 million (2024)
- The United Arab Emirates had a population of 11 million in 2024 (World Bank); shown for scale only.
Trend, 2011–2021
| Year | % of adults (age 15+) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 26.8% | −18.6 pp |
| 2017 | 45.4% | +8.0 pp |
| 2014 | 37.4% | +7.4 pp |
| 2011 | 30% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What share of adults in the United Arab Emirates owned a credit card?
26.8% of adults in the United Arab Emirates owned a credit card in 2021, according to World Bank Global Findex data.
When did credit card ownership in the United Arab Emirates peak?
The highest value in the available series was 45.4% in 2017; the latest (2021) value is 26.8%.
How recent is the credit card ownership data for the United Arab Emirates?
The most recent observation is from 2021. World Bank Global Findex data is reported with a lag, so 2021 is the latest available year for the United Arab Emirates.
Where does the credit card ownership data for the United Arab Emirates come from?
The data comes from the World Bank Global Findex (indicator fin10). The latest observation for the United Arab Emirates is from 2021; the snapshot was retrieved on 2026-06-10.
Source & methodology
Source: World Bank Global Findex, indicator
fin10, retrieved .
Figures are shown exactly as published in the source dataset; only the change column of the trend table is computed from adjacent published values.Read more on the methodology page. All figures are estimates and projections; this is not financial advice.
Last updated .