1. 1
DEMOGRAPHY
Expatriates in the United Arab Emirates
2. CONTENTS
2
Executive summary 3
Unreliable census data 4
Expats in UAE 5
Expats population breakdown 6
Population growth 9
Population and birth/death breakdown 10
Gender breakdown 11
3. Executive Summary
3
Expats make up 88.5 per cent of the country’s total population.
The Emiratis were estimated at 947,997 nearly11.5 per cent of the
total, making the UAE among the Gulf countries have the lowest
proportion of natives to the overall population.
The UAE had 7.2 million people at the end of 2011 and the figure is
expected to grow by around 5.6 per cent to 7.6 million at the end of
2012.
The country's net migration rate stands at 21.71, the world's highest.
By 2020, Emiratis are projected to form only 10% of the population
4. Census data could be a “suspect”
and “unreliable”
4
Generally, population data for the UAE is somewhat unreliable given
that a census is not held very frequently, and for various reasons,
even when there is a census, that data could be suspect (for example
inhabitants of overpopulated villas will probably be reluctant to draw
attention to themselves, similarly for unmarried couples living
together, or those living in the UAE on repeated visit visas).
From 2006 to 2010 the population of the UAE population grew 65
percent according to official statistics. Unsurprisingly, the proportion
of the population who are Emirati citizens fell.
Different census organization come up with different census data.
5. employment and investment
opportunities
5
The country's extremely liberal and
open-minded society compared to
its neighbours has resulted in mass
immigration from all over the
world, including people from
western nations
The native Emiratis are
outnumbered in their own country
at a ratio of 11 to 1
6. Expatriates population breakdown in
the UAE
6
The three largest groups of expatriates hail from India, Pakistan,
and then Bangladesh.
Members of other Asian communities, including China, the
Philippines, Thailand, Korea, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Iran make
up a significant proportion of the workforce, as do Western
expatriates from Europe, Australia, Northern Africa, Africa and Latin
America (National Media Council, 2009)
24,333 people were added to Dubai's population every month, 800
daily and around 33 every hour during 2006. The figure does not
include tourists.
9. UAE record world's “2nd highest”
population growth.
9
The biggest influx of population began in
the late 1970s and early 1980s when the
government pumped billions of dirhams
for infrastructure and civic projects
following the discovery of oil.
Influx in 90s, when most of the city’s old
buildings and houses were replaced with
modern and luxury high-rise structures
and villas.
Another boom began in the early 2000s
when projects like Yas Island were
10. Population breakdown and
birth/death rate of UAE nationals
10
Last year's birth and death rates
among UAE citizens were 15.1 and
1.4 per 1,000 people respectively.
while life expectancy at birth for Abu
Dhabi Emirate was 77 years for
males and 78 years for females.
Life expectancy at birth was 77
years for citizens, and 78 years for
non-citizens
11. Gender imbalance is “second
highest” in the world after Qatar
11
The population of the UAE
has a skewed sex
distribution: With a
male/female sex ratio of 2.2
for the total population and
2.75 for the 15–65 age group.
Most of the expat work
force(Construction company)
do not bring their family along
with them
