Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 16.0 years longer

In Marshall Islands, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 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.

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be 24.7% less likely to be obese

In Marshall Islands, 42.0% 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 4.3 times more spent on your healthcare

Marshall Islands spends $874 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 39.0% more access to essential health services

Marshall Islands scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Arab Emirates scores 82 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 5.9 times more money

Marshall Islands has a GDP per capita of $8,489 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.

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Life

be 98.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Marshall Islands, approximately 155.0 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 83.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Marshall Islands, approximately 22.7 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 51.1% fewer children

In Marshall Islands, there are approximately 20.1 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 51.7% more likely to have internet access

In Marshall Islands, approximately 65.9% 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 14.4% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Marshall Islands, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (86% in urban areas, and 94% 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 49.5% less on education

Marshall Islands spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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spend 62.9% less on healthcare

Marshall Islands spends 13.4% 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 3.6 times more coastline

Marshall Islands has a total of 370 km of coastline. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 1,318 km.

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Safety

be 50.4% less likely to die in a road accident

In Marshall Islands, road accidents kill 11.9 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 17.4 times more home broadband

Marshall Islands has 2.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. United Arab Emirates has 40.8 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

Compare further: Marshall Islands vs. United Arab Emirates

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
United Arab Emirates is 7.2% cheaper than Marshall Islands overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Marshall Islands is about 462 times smaller than United Arab Emirates.
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Moving from Marshall Islands 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 Marshall Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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