If you lived in United Arab Emirates instead of Benin, you would:

Health

live 22.1 years longer

In Benin, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 83 years (82 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 27.0 times more spent on your healthcare

Benin spends $138 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 as of 2023.

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have 13.9 times more doctors per person

Benin has 2.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United Arab Emirates has 29.9 as of 2023.

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have 2.2 times more access to essential health services

Benin scores 38 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Arab Emirates scores 82 as of 2021.

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be 76.0% less likely to die by suicide

Benin has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 2.6 times more likely to be obese

In Benin, 12.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 31.6% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 30.3 times more money

Benin has a GDP per capita of $1,658 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.

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be 36.5% more likely to be unemployed

In Benin, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 2.2% as of 2025.

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Life

be 99.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Benin, approximately 518.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In United Arab Emirates, 3.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 92.3% more likely to be literate

In Benin, the literacy rate is 51.4% as of 2022. In United Arab Emirates, it is 98.8% as of 2024.

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be 91.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Benin, approximately 45.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, 3.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 70.6% fewer children

In Benin, there are approximately 33.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 75.4% more likely to have access to electricity

In Benin, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (70% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 2.9 times more likely to have internet access

In Benin, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, about 100.0% do as of 2024.

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be 43.7% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Benin, approximately 70% of people have access to drinking water (76% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 20.4% more on education

Benin spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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spend 48.8% more on healthcare

Benin spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 5.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 10.9 times more coastline

Benin has a total of 121 km of coastline. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 1,318 km.

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Safety

be 76.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Benin, road accidents kill 24.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, they kill 5.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 145.9 times more home broadband

Benin has 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Arab Emirates has 40.8 as of 2024.

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use 133.3 times more electricity

Benin uses 115 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 1540.7 times more strain on fresh water

Benin withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 37.3 times more CO2

Benin emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

United Arab Emirates: At a glance

United Arab Emirates is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 83,600 sq km. The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Dhabi, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. Its high oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in the affairs of the region. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE's economy. However, in 2008-09, the confluence of falling oil prices, collapsing real estate prices, and the international banking crisis hit the UAE especially hard. The UAE has essentially avoided the "Arab Spring" unrest seen elsewhere in the Middle East, though in March 2011, political activists and intellectuals signed a petition calling for greater public participation in governance that was widely circulated on the Internet. In an effort to stem potential further unrest, the government announced a multi-year, $1.6-billion infrastructure investment plan for the poorer northern emirates and aggressively pursued advocates of political reform.
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