United Arab Emirates vs Western Sahara: Share of population living in urban and rural areas
United Arab Emirates
86.0%
in 2025
Western Sahara
86.9%
in 2025
United Arab Emirates rank
54th
Western Sahara rank
52nd
Share of population living in urban and rural areas over time
- United Arab Emirates
- Western Sahara
How they compare
Western Sahara currently reports 86.9% against 86.0% in United Arab Emirates, a difference of 0.9%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 76 shared years of data; in 1950 it was United Arab Emirates ahead.
United Arab Emirates ranks 54th and Western Sahara ranks 52nd of 236 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, United Arab Emirates averaged higher in 3 and Western Sahara in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | United Arab Emirates | Western Sahara | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 64.2% | 31.1% | 33.2% | United Arab Emirates |
| 1960s | 77.3% | 34.0% | 43.2% | United Arab Emirates |
| 1970s | 82.8% | 54.9% | 28.0% | United Arab Emirates |
| 1980s | 79.8% | 82.0% | 2.2% | Western Sahara |
| 1990s | 78.5% | 85.4% | 7.0% | Western Sahara |
| 2000s | 81.5% | 86.1% | 4.6% | Western Sahara |
| 2010s | 84.2% | 86.5% | 2.3% | Western Sahara |
| 2020s | 85.6% | 86.8% | 1.2% | Western Sahara |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population living in urban and rural areas, United Arab Emirates or Western Sahara?
- Western Sahara, at 86.9% against 86.0% in United Arab Emirates as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of population living in urban and rural areas between United Arab Emirates and Western Sahara?
- 0.9%, with Western Sahara ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for United Arab Emirates and Western Sahara?
- 76 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2025.
- How do United Arab Emirates and Western Sahara rank globally for share of population living in urban and rural areas?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 54th and Western Sahara ranks 52nd of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in urban and rural areas. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.