Rural population in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Rural population was 12.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in United Arab Emirates, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in United Arab Emirates stood at 12.0%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in United Arab Emirates peaked at 21.7% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 12.0%, in 2024.
That places United Arab Emirates 176th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 20.2% | — |
| 1971 | 20.2% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 20.2% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 20.2% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 20.2% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 20.2% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 20.1% | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 19.9% | -1.0% |
| 1978 | 19.7% | -1.0% |
| 1979 | 19.5% | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 19.3% | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 19.3% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 19.5% | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 19.8% | +1.1% |
| 1984 | 20.0% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 20.2% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 20.4% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 20.5% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 20.7% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 20.8% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 20.9% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 21.1% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 21.2% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 21.4% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 21.5% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 21.7% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 21.5% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 21.1% | -2.1% |
| 1998 | 20.6% | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 20.2% | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 19.8% | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 19.3% | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 18.9% | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 18.5% | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 18.1% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 17.7% | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 17.4% | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 17.0% | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 16.6% | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 16.3% | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 15.9% | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 15.6% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 15.3% | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 14.9% | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 14.6% | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 14.3% | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 14.0% | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 13.8% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 13.5% | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 13.2% | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 13.0% | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 12.7% | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 12.5% | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 12.2% | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 12.0% | -1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 20.0% | 19.5% | 20.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.0% | 19.3% | 20.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.1% | 20.2% | 21.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.0% | 16.3% | 19.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.5% | 13.2% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.5% | 12.0% | 13.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More population data for United Arab Emirates
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.9136 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 1.1 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.9136 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.4807 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 11,450 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.6462 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 1.08 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.9% (2100)
- Population density 367.99 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.66 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in United Arab Emirates?
- Rural population in United Arab Emirates was 12.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 21.7% in 1995.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.0% in 2024.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for rural population?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 176th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release