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

Health

live 15.8 years longer

In Tuvalu, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 71 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 51.4% less likely to be obese

In Tuvalu, 65.1% 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 2.2 times more spent on your healthcare

Tuvalu spends $1,671 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 2.2 times more doctors per person

Tuvalu has 13.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. United Arab Emirates has 29.9 as of 2023.

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have 57.7% more access to essential health services

Tuvalu scores 52 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 8.3 times more money

Tuvalu has a GDP per capita of $6,041 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.

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Life

be 98.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Tuvalu, approximately 170.0 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 77.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Tuvalu, approximately 16.5 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 55.3% fewer children

In Tuvalu, there are approximately 22.0 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 23.2% more likely to have internet access

In Tuvalu, approximately 81.2% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In United Arab Emirates, about 100.0% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 69.7% less on education

Tuvalu spends 12.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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spend 81.7% less on healthcare

Tuvalu spends 27.1% 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 54.9 times more coastline

Tuvalu has a total of 24 km of coastline. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 1,318 km.

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Safety

be 67.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Tuvalu, road accidents kill 17.9 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 9.0 times more home broadband

Tuvalu has 4.5 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 (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. 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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How big is United Arab Emirates compared to Tuvalu? See an in-depth size comparison.

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