United Arab Emirates vs Western Sahara: Share of population living in rural areas
United Arab Emirates
9.7%
in 2020
Western Sahara
9.9%
in 2020
United Arab Emirates rank
207th
Western Sahara rank
206th
Share of population living in rural areas over time
- United Arab Emirates
- Western Sahara
How they compare
Western Sahara currently reports 9.9% against 9.7% in United Arab Emirates, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Western Sahara ahead.
United Arab Emirates ranks 207th and Western Sahara ranks 206th of 236 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, United Arab Emirates averaged higher in 1 and Western Sahara in 7.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | United Arab Emirates | Western Sahara | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 42.9% | 82.1% | 39.2% | Western Sahara |
| 1960s | 39.1% | 58.2% | 19.1% | Western Sahara |
| 1970s | 33.6% | 50.1% | 16.6% | Western Sahara |
| 1980s | 19.5% | 30.0% | 10.5% | Western Sahara |
| 1990s | 15.2% | 14.4% | 0.9% | United Arab Emirates |
| 2000s | 11.2% | 12.7% | 1.5% | Western Sahara |
| 2010s | 9.4% | 10.1% | 0.7% | Western Sahara |
| 2020s | 9.7% | 9.9% | 0.1% | Western Sahara |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population living in rural areas, United Arab Emirates or Western Sahara?
- Western Sahara, at 9.9% against 9.7% in United Arab Emirates as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of population living in rural areas between United Arab Emirates and Western Sahara?
- 0.2%, with Western Sahara ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for United Arab Emirates and Western Sahara?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
- How do United Arab Emirates and Western Sahara rank globally for share of population living in rural areas?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 207th and Western Sahara ranks 206th of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.