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

Health

live 14.2 years longer

In Eritrea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 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 43.1 times more spent on your healthcare

Eritrea spends $87 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 34.0 times more doctors per person

Eritrea has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United Arab Emirates has 29.9 as of 2023.

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have 82.2% more access to essential health services

Eritrea scores 45 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 87.1% less likely to die by suicide

Eritrea has a suicide rate of 13.2 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 7.3 times more likely to be obese

In Eritrea, 4.3% 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

be 63.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Eritrea, 6.0% 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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be 61.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Eritrea, 50.0% live below the poverty line as of 2004. In United Arab Emirates, however, that number is 19.5% as of 2003.

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Life

be 99.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Eritrea, approximately 291.0 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 84.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Eritrea, approximately 24.7 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 65.8% fewer children

In Eritrea, there are approximately 28.7 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 83.8% more likely to have access to electricity

In Eritrea, approximately 54% of people have electricity access (77% 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.

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be 3.8 times more likely to have internet access

In Eritrea, approximately 26.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In United Arab Emirates, about 100.0% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 35.1% more on healthcare

Eritrea spends 3.7% 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 41.0% less coastline

Eritrea has a total of 2,234 km of coastline. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 1,318 km.

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Safety

be 66.7% less likely to die in a road accident

In Eritrea, road accidents kill 17.7 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 240.2 times more home broadband

Eritrea has 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. United Arab Emirates has 40.8 as of 2024.

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use 123.9 times more electricity

Eritrea uses 123 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 135.1 times more strain on fresh water

Eritrea withdraws 11% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 10.3% less likely to die from air pollution

In Eritrea, air pollution causes 78.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Arab Emirates, it causes 70.0 as of 2019.

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emit 83.0 times more CO2

Eritrea emits 0.2 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 (2019–2022), The World Factbook (2003–2004), World Health Organization (2024). 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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