International Migrant Population Statistics in United Arab Emirates (2026)
In 2024, 74% of the population in the United Arab Emirates were international migrants, according to World Bank World Development Indicators data. Down from 76% in 2020 to 74% in 2024 (−2 percentage points). United Arab Emirates ranks #2 of 23 economies in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan on this measure, and #2 of 216 globally.
Key Statistics
- Latest value (2024)
- 74% (2024)
- International Migrant Population in the United Arab Emirates as of 2024, the most recent observation in World Bank World Development Indicators data.
- Change since 2020
- −2 pp (2024)
- Down from 76% in 2020 to 74% in 2024 (−2 percentage points).
- Earliest value in this dataset (1990)
- 68.6% (1990)
- Earliest observation in this dataset, which covers 1990 onward (the source series may begin earlier). Up from 68.6% in 1990 to 74% in 2024.
- Peak value (2015)
- 79.1% (2015)
- Highest value in the available series; the 2024 value is 74%.
- Rank in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- #2 of 23 (2024)
- The United Arab Emirates ranks 2 of 23 countries in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan with data, based on each country's latest value.
- Global rank
- #2 of 216 (2024)
- The United Arab Emirates ranks 2 of 216 countries with data globally.
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan average
- 22.8% (2024)
- The United Arab Emirates (74%) is above the average of 22.8% across the 23 countries in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan with data.
- Personal remittances, received (current US$) (2024)
- $1.8 billion (2024)
- Related indicator from World Bank World Development Indicators.
- 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, 1990–2024
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 74% | −2.0 pp |
| 2020 | 76% | −3.1 pp |
| 2015 | 79.1% | +0.6 pp |
| 2010 | 78.5% | +9.5 pp |
| 2005 | 69% | +1.1 pp |
| 2000 | 67.9% | −5.8 pp |
| 1995 | 73.7% | +5.1 pp |
| 1990 | 68.6% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What share of people in the United Arab Emirates were international migrants?
74% of the population in the United Arab Emirates were international migrants in 2024, according to World Bank World Development Indicators data.
When did international migrant population in the United Arab Emirates peak?
The highest value in the available series was 79.1% in 2015; the latest (2024) value is 74%.
How recent is the international migrant population data for the United Arab Emirates?
The most recent observation is from 2024. World Bank World Development Indicators data is reported with a lag, so 2024 is the latest available year for the United Arab Emirates.
Where does the international migrant population data for the United Arab Emirates come from?
The data comes from the World Bank World Development Indicators (indicator SM.POP.TOTL.ZS). The latest observation for the United Arab Emirates is from 2024; the snapshot was retrieved on 2026-06-10.
Source & methodology
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator
SM.POP.TOTL.ZS, 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 .