Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Arab Emirates instead of Sri Lanka, you would:
Health
live 5.4 years longer
In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 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.
see 7.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Sri Lanka spends $507 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 as of 2023.
have 2.6 times more doctors per person
Sri Lanka has 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United Arab Emirates has 29.9 as of 2023.
have 22.4% more access to essential health services
Sri Lanka scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Arab Emirates scores 82 as of 2021.
be 88.4% less likely to die by suicide
Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.8 times more likely to be obese
In Sri Lanka, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 31.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 45.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Sri Lanka, 4.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 2.2% as of 2025.
make 10.1 times more money
Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.
Life
be 83.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Sri Lanka, approximately 18.0 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.
be 26.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Sri Lanka, approximately 5.2 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 83.2% more likely to have internet access
In Sri Lanka, approximately 54.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, about 100.0% do as of 2024.
be 10.9% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Sri Lanka, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 88% 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.
Expenditures
spend 2.1 times more on education
Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 35.1% more on healthcare
Sri Lanka 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.
Safety
be 79.2% less likely to be murdered
Sri Lanka has a homicide rate of 3.3 per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 48.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Sri Lanka, road accidents kill 11.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, they kill 5.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.8 times more home broadband
Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Arab Emirates has 40.8 as of 2024.
use 23.7 times more electricity
Sri Lanka uses 644 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh as of 2023.
live with 16.6 times more strain on fresh water
Sri Lanka withdraws 91% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% as of 2022.
Environment
be 89.2% more likely to die from air pollution
In Sri Lanka, air pollution causes 37.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Arab Emirates, it causes 70.0 as of 2019.
emit 17.2 times more CO2
Sri Lanka emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sri Lanka vs. United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: At a glance
How big is United Arab Emirates compared to Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.