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

Health

be 99.6% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Swaziland, 23.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2024.

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live 18.8 years longer

In Swaziland, the average life expectancy is 64 years (61 years for men, 67 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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see 4.0 times more spent on your healthcare

Swaziland spends $922 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 5.4 times more doctors per person

Swaziland has 5.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United Arab Emirates has 29.9 as of 2023.

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have 46.4% more access to essential health services

Swaziland scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Arab Emirates scores 82 as of 2021.

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be 93.7% less likely to die by suicide

Swaziland has a suicide rate of 27.2 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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Economy

be 93.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Swaziland, 34.2% 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 12.2 times more money

Swaziland has a GDP per capita of $4,108 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.

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Life

be 97.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Swaziland, approximately 118.0 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 91.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Swaziland, approximately 42.2 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.

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have 58.5% fewer children

In Swaziland, there are approximately 23.6 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 15.7% more likely to have access to electricity

In Swaziland, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 85% in rural areas) as of 2023. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 57.7% more likely to have internet access

In Swaziland, approximately 63.4% 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 24.4% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Swaziland, approximately 80% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 74% 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 35.5% less on education

Swaziland spends 6.0% 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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spend 33.7% less on healthcare

Swaziland spends 7.5% 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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Safety

be 94.5% less likely to be murdered

Swaziland has a homicide rate of 12.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.

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be 76.1% less likely to die in a road accident

In Swaziland, road accidents kill 24.7 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 16.3 times more home broadband

Swaziland has 2.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Arab Emirates has 40.8 as of 2024.

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use 12.7 times more electricity

Swaziland uses 1,200 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 19.5 times more strain on fresh water

Swaziland withdraws 78% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 20.8 times more CO2

Swaziland emits 0.9 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 (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

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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