Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.3 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 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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Economy

be 22.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.8% 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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make 11.8% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $56,983 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.

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Life

have 2.0 times more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 49.0% more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, 3.8 children do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 79.8% more coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 km of coastline. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 1,318 km.

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Safety

be 81.6% more likely to be murdered

Hong Kong has a homicide rate of 0.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.

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Infrastructure

use 2.4 times more electricity

Hong Kong uses 6,359 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 4.0 times more CO2

Hong Kong emits 4.6 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 (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Hong Kong vs. United Arab Emirates

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
United Arab Emirates is 35.5% cheaper than Hong Kong overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Hong Kong is about 75 times smaller than United Arab Emirates.
→
Moving from Hong Kong to United Arab Emirates · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

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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How big is United Arab Emirates compared to Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

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