Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Arab Emirates instead of Portugal, you would:
Health
be 85.2% less likely to die by suicide
Portugal has a suicide rate of 11.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 74.9% more likely to be obese
In Portugal, 18.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 31.6% of people as of 2024.
see 24.4% less spent on your healthcare
Portugal spends $4,928 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 as of 2023.
have 48.9% fewer doctors per person
Portugal has 58.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United Arab Emirates has 29.9 as of 2023.
Economy
be 64.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Portugal, 6.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 2.2% as of 2025.
make 56.7% more money
Portugal has a GDP per capita of $32,082 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.
Life
be 80.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Portugal, approximately 15.0 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.
have 24.3% more children
In Portugal, there are approximately 7.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 40.7% more likely to die during infancy
In Portugal, approximately 2.7 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.
Basic Needs
be 13.0% more likely to have internet access
In Portugal, approximately 88.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, about 100.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 14.5% less on education
Portugal spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 51.5% less on healthcare
Portugal spends 10.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 5.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 26.5% less coastline
Portugal has a total of 1,793 km of coastline. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 1,318 km.
Safety
be 18.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Portugal, road accidents kill 7.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, they kill 5.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 2.9 times more electricity
Portugal uses 5,294 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh as of 2023.
live with 122.6 times more strain on fresh water
Portugal withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% as of 2022.
Environment
be 7.0 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Portugal, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Arab Emirates, it causes 70.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.5 times more CO2
Portugal emits 3.3 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: Portugal vs. United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: At a glance
How big is United Arab Emirates compared to Portugal? See an in-depth size comparison.