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

Health

be 33.0% more likely to be obese

In United Arab Emirates, 31.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Qatar, that number is 42.0% of people as of 2024.

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see 22.2% less spent on your healthcare

United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Qatar spends $2,901 as of 2023.

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be 2.7 times more likely to die by suicide

United Arab Emirates has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Qatar, it is 4.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 94.0% less likely to be unemployed

In United Arab Emirates, 2.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Qatar, that number is 0.1% as of 2025.

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make 44.3% more money

United Arab Emirates has a GDP per capita of $50,274 as of 2024, while in Qatar, the GDP per capita is $72,525 as of 2025.

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Life

be 33.3% more likely to die during childbirth

In United Arab Emirates, approximately 3.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Qatar, 4.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 26.3% more likely to die during infancy

In United Arab Emirates, approximately 3.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Qatar, on the other hand, 4.8 children do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 17.0% less on education

United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Qatar spends 3.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

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spend 49.3% less on healthcare

United Arab Emirates spends 5.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Qatar, that number is 2.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 57.3% less coastline

United Arab Emirates has a total of 1,318 km of coastline. In Qatar, that number is 563 km.

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Safety

be 89.9% less likely to be murdered

United Arab Emirates has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Qatar, that number is 0.1 per 100,000 as of 2022.

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be 23.7% more likely to die in a road accident

In United Arab Emirates, road accidents kill 5.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Qatar, they kill 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 71.5% less strain on fresh water

United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Qatar withdraws 431% as of 2022.

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use 30.6% more electricity

United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Qatar uses 19,963 kWh as of 2023.

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find 71.1% less home broadband

United Arab Emirates has 40.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Qatar has 11.8 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 30.0% more likely to die from air pollution

In United Arab Emirates, air pollution causes 70.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Qatar, it causes 91.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.6 times more CO2

United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Qatar emits 47.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Qatar: At a glance

Qatar is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 11,586 sq km. Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the Amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, overthrew the father in a bloodless coup in 1995. In short order, HAMAD oversaw the creation of the pan-Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera and Qatar's pursuit of a leadership role in mediating regional conflicts. In the 2000s, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As of 2007, oil and natural gas revenues had enabled Qatar to attain the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar has not experienced domestic unrest or violence like that seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2010-11, due in part to its immense wealth. Since the outbreak of regional unrest, however, Doha has prided itself on its support for many of these popular revolutions, particularly in Libya and Syria. In mid-2013, HAMAD transferred power to his 33 year-old son, TAMIM bin Hamad - a peaceful abdication rare in the history of Arab Gulf states. TAMIM has prioritized improving the domestic welfare of Qataris, including establishing advanced healthcare and education systems and expanding the country's infrastructure in anticipation of Doha's hosting of the 2022 World Cup.
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