Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Arab Emirates instead of Djibouti, you would:
Health
live 16.9 years longer
In Djibouti, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 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.
see 24.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Djibouti spends $155 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 as of 2023.
have 14.2 times more doctors per person
Djibouti has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United Arab Emirates has 29.9 as of 2023.
have 86.4% more access to essential health services
Djibouti scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Arab Emirates scores 82 as of 2021.
be 78.5% less likely to die by suicide
Djibouti has a suicide rate of 8.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.7 times more likely to be obese
In Djibouti, 11.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 31.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 91.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Djibouti, 26.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 2.2% as of 2025.
make 12.9 times more money
Djibouti has a GDP per capita of $3,906 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.
Life
be 98.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Djibouti, approximately 162.0 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.
be 91.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Djibouti, approximately 43.0 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.
have 53.1% fewer children
In Djibouti, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 53.4% more likely to have access to electricity
In Djibouti, approximately 65% of people have electricity access (75% in urban areas, and 37% 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.
be 53.1% more likely to have internet access
In Djibouti, approximately 65.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, about 100.0% do as of 2024.
be 25.5% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Djibouti, approximately 80% of people have access to drinking water (84% in urban areas, and 62% 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.
Expenditures
spend 2.2 times more on healthcare
Djibouti spends 2.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 5.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 4.2 times more coastline
Djibouti has a total of 314 km of coastline. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 1,318 km.
Safety
be 74.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Djibouti, road accidents kill 23.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, they kill 5.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 27.8 times more home broadband
Djibouti has 1.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. United Arab Emirates has 40.8 as of 2024.
live with 238.5 times more strain on fresh water
Djibouti withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% as of 2022.
Environment
be 18.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In Djibouti, air pollution causes 59.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Arab Emirates, it causes 70.0 as of 2019.
emit 23.7 times more CO2
Djibouti emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Djibouti vs. United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: At a glance
How big is United Arab Emirates compared to Djibouti? See an in-depth size comparison.