Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of United Arab Emirates, you would:
Health
see 3.6 times more spent on your healthcare
United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 23.0% more doctors per person
United Arab Emirates has 29.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
live 4.2 years less
In United Arab Emirates, the average life expectancy is 83 years (82 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
be 29.6% more likely to be obese
In United Arab Emirates, 31.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 9.1 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 United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 79.1% more money
United Arab Emirates has a GDP per capita of $50,274 as of 2024, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
be 93.5% more likely to be unemployed
In United Arab Emirates, 2.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 5.7 times 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 United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 44.7% 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 39.3% more on education
United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 3.4 times more on healthcare
United Arab Emirates spends 5.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 15.1 times more coastline
United Arab Emirates has a total of 1,318 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 8.3 times more likely to be murdered
United Arab Emirates has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In United States, that number is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 2.4 times 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 United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 98.1% less strain on fresh water
United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
use 16.0% less electricity
United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 80.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In United Arab Emirates, air pollution causes 70.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 25.4% less CO2
United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 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: United Arab Emirates vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to United Arab Emirates? See an in-depth size comparison.