Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 21.8% less likely to be obese

In Kuwait, 40.4% 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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see 45.2% more spent on your healthcare

Kuwait spends $2,567 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 31.6% more doctors per person

Kuwait has 22.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. United Arab Emirates has 29.9 as of 2023.

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be 26.0% less likely to die by suicide

Kuwait has a suicide rate of 2.3 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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live 1.5 years less

In Kuwait, the average life expectancy is 85 years (84 years for men, 85 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

make 55.6% more money

Kuwait has a GDP per capita of $32,312 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.

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Life

be 62.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Kuwait, approximately 8.0 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 45.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Kuwait, approximately 7.0 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.

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Expenditures

spend 39.6% less on education

Kuwait spends 6.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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Geography

see 2.6 times more coastline

Kuwait has a total of 499 km of coastline. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 1,318 km.

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Safety

be 35.9% less likely to die in a road accident

In Kuwait, road accidents kill 9.2 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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be 2.8 times more likely to be murdered

Kuwait has a homicide rate of 0.2 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.

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Infrastructure

find 40.4 times more home broadband

Kuwait has 1.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. United Arab Emirates has 40.8 as of 2024.

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live with 60.8% less strain on fresh water

Kuwait withdraws 3850% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 22.9% less CO2

Kuwait emits 23.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 55.6% more likely to die from air pollution

In Kuwait, air pollution causes 45.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Arab Emirates, it causes 70.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: Kuwait vs. United Arab Emirates

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
United Arab Emirates is 50.5% more expensive than Kuwait overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Kuwait is about 4.7 times smaller than United Arab Emirates.
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Moving from Kuwait to United Arab Emirates · UN DESA 2020
67,525 people born in Kuwait live in United Arab Emirates.
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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 Kuwait? See an in-depth size comparison.

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