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UAE Population and religion percentage

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or the Emirates, is a country in Western Asia located at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. The UAE is an elective monarchy formed from a federation of seven emirates, consisting of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm Al Quwain.

As per the UN World Population Prospects report and other estimates  the population of  UAE in 2024 is 9,915,803 (10 million or 1 crore)

UAE location on Map

Demography
UAE 2024 Population
Total Population9,915,803
Growth rate0.80%
Land Area 83,600 sq. km (32,300 sq. mi)
Pop. Density118 people/sq. km
Capital CityAbu Dhabi
Fertility Rate1.42
Infant mortality rate4.8
Median Age 32.6 Years
Life Expectancy78.46 years
Urban Population 86.4 %

*Fertility rate, average number of children born to women during their reproductive years.

**Infant mortality rate is the number of deaths per 1,000 live births of children under one year of age.

Source: UAE World Population Prospects 

UAE Population By Emirates

The UAE consists of 7 separate emirates and each region has contributed to small spikes in the population chart due to regional immigration. Among the 7 emirates, Dubai has the largest population of around 3,488,745 followed by Sharjah with 1,786,000. Abu Dhabi has a population of 1,540,000 while Ajman has a population of 504,846. Ras-Al-Khaimah has a population of 345,000 and Fujairah has a population of 256,256. The least populated Emirate is Umm Al Quwain with a population of 49,159

LocationPopulation
Dubai3,488,745
Sharjah1,786,000
Abu Dhabi1,540,000
Ajman504,846
Ras al-Khaimah345,000
Fujairah256,256
Umm Al Quwain49,159

Source: Global Media Insight

UAE Population by Nationality

Expatriates outnumber the nationals in the UAE.  While the ex-pat population totals around 88.52% i.e. 8.92 million, the nationals only amount to 11.48%  i.e. 1.16 million. Most of the expatriate population that comes in search of a job permanently settles down here. 

NationalityPopulation in (Million)Percentage
India2.77M27.49%
Pakistan1.28M12.69%
Bangladesh0.75M7.40%
Philippines0.56M5.56%
Iran0.48M4.76%
Egypt0.43M4.23%
Nepal0.32M3.17%
Sri Lanka0.32M3.17%
China0.21M2.11%
All other countries1.81M17.94%
Total Expat Population8.92M88.52%

Source: Global Media Insight

Religion in UAE

Islam is both the official and majority religion in the United Arab Emirates Its followed by  76% of the population with over 90% of the Emirati Muslims practicing Sunni Islam.

Other religions represented in the country including Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Sikhism are practiced by non-nationals.

Religion percentage in the UAE

  • Islam – 76%
  • Christianity – 9%
  • Hinduism – 8%
  • Others (including Buddhism and Baha’i faith) – 7%

Source: Wikipedia

Top Cities in UAE by Population
#CityEmiratePopulation
1DubaiDubai32,97,980
2Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi18,07,000
3SharjahSharjah12,74,749
4Al AinAbu Dhabi7,66,936
5AjmanAjman2,26,172
6Ras Al KhaimahRas al Khaimah1,15,949
7FujairahFujairah97,226
8Umm Al QuwainUmm Al Quwain61,700
9Khor FakkanSharjah39,151
10KalbaSharjah37,545

Indian Population in UAE

As per the Ministry of External Affairs report, there are 3,425,144 (34.25 Lakhs) Indians residing in UAE. Indians form the largest expatriate groups in the country, constituting 38% of the total population of the United Arab Emirates.

Read more about  Indian Population in UAE

Population of United Arab Emirates 2024 | Religion in UAE

Rajeev Rana

Rajeev Rana loves reading about history and demography and has been writing on these topics for five years. While not a certified expert, he has a deep understanding of demography in India. Rajeev contributes to several websites and has extensive knowledge of the Delhi NCR area.