Who moves to the United Arab Emirates
7.9M people have chosen United Arab Emirates for relocation — #9 most popular destination worldwide
Considering a move to the United Arab Emirates? — See where people come from, regional patterns, and how it's changed since 1990.
Where immigrants come from
The top 3 countries account for 66% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| India | 3248545 |
| Bangladesh | 1024949 |
| Pakistan | 932356 |
| Egypt | 841883 |
| Philippines | 528527 |
| Indonesia | 298351 |
| Yemen | 192423 |
| Jordan | 158125 |
| Sudan | 124677 |
| Sri Lanka | 112759 |
| Kuwait | 63192 |
| Palestine | 54566 |
| Syria | 49529 |
| Lebanon | 39223 |
| Türkiye | 35736 |
| United Kingdom | 27318 |
| Nepal | 26097 |
| Eritrea | 18093 |
| France | 16977 |
| South Sudan | 14900 |
| Nigeria | 14690 |
| United States | 14618 |
| Thailand | 11996 |
| Ethiopia | 10340 |
| Somalia | 9109 |
| Morocco | 8368 |
| Afghanistan | 7665 |
| Saudi Arabia | 6157 |
| Tunisia | 5497 |
| Chad | 5007 |
| Netherlands | 2953 |
| Qatar | 2500 |
| Bahrain | 1870 |
By region of origin
Asia is the leading region of origin at 78%
6.2M
1.1M
603.3K
47.2K
14.6K
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about immigration in the United Arab Emirates.
Immigration is a key driver of population growth
73% of the population growth of the United Arab Emirates since 1990 came from new immigrants, reflecting immigration's central demographic role.
A significant share of residents were born abroad
1 in 1 residents of the United Arab Emirates is foreign-born — 7.9M out of 11M, representing 72.0% of the population.
India is the leading source of immigration by a wide margin
India accounts for 41% of all immigrants, far ahead of the second-largest source at just 13%.
How immigration changed over time
Total immigrant population by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1283343 |
| 1995 | 1753508 |
| 2000 | 2306805 |
| 2005 | 3122725 |
| 2010 | 5280438 |
| 2015 | 6650469 |
| 2020 | 6965576 |
| 2024 | 7908996 |
Top sources over time
Immigration from the 5 largest source countries
| Year | India | Bangladesh | Pakistan | Egypt | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 456794 | 154362 | 158191 | 165437 | 59910 |
| 1995 | 657380 | 216463 | 222210 | 204664 | 90400 |
| 2000 | 888393 | 288689 | 296606 | 254074 | 124993 |
| 2005 | 1262523 | 401200 | 376533 | 335290 | 198805 |
| 2010 | 2168857 | 684306 | 622486 | 562083 | 352872 |
| 2015 | 2731583 | 861853 | 783994 | 707918 | 444426 |
| 2020 | 2861045 | 902689 | 821140 | 741460 | 465483 |
| 2024 | 3248545 | 1024949 | 932356 | 841883 | 528527 |
Fastest-changing origins
How immigration from each country has changed since the selected year
United Arab Emirates as a destination, by diaspora
Share of each country's emigrants who settled in the United Arab Emirates