MigrantoMigration trends in the UAE
Middle East
UAE takes in more people than it loses: 7.9M immigrants against 166.1K emigrants. Net balance +7.7M — 70% of the country's population
11M
Population
7.9M
Immigrants
166.1K
Emigrants
+7.7M
Inflow
1 in 1 residents of the UAE was born abroad — and 1 in 67 people born in the UAE lives abroad
#9 in the world by net migration gain
Top corridors
The largest migration flows in the UAE
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
1.3M immigrants · 61.1K emigrants
1995
- Entered the world's 20 biggest immigrant destinations
- Migration accounted for 88% of the country's population growth
2005
- India replaced Qatar as the main destination for those leaving
- Migration accounted for 70% of the country's population growth
2010
- Joined the world's 10 biggest immigrant destinations
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 69%
- The foreign-born population passed 5M residents
- The diaspora passed 100K people
2015
- Kuwait replaced India as the main destination for those leaving
- Migration accounted for 84% of the country's population growth
Today
- Migration accounted for 60% of the country's population growth
- Since 1990: 6.6M more foreign-born residents and 104.9K more emigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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