Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 25.9 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2022. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 80 years (78 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 5.8 times more likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 5.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 31.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 37.8 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $2,000 as of 2022, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $75,600 as of 2023.

be 81.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 14.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 2.7% as of 2023.

be 64.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 54.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In United Arab Emirates, however, that number is 19.5% as of 2003.

Life

be 98.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 620.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In United Arab Emirates, 9.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.6 times more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, it is 98.1% as of 2021.

be 95.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 104.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, 5.1 children do as of 2022.

have 68.7% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 34.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 17.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In United Arab Emirates, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 5.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 18.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In United Arab Emirates, about 100.0% do as of 2021.

be 30.7% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access as of 2020. In United Arab Emirates, 100% of people do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 64.5% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 34.5% more on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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.
Read more

How big is United Arab Emirates compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about United Arab Emirates.or Afghanistan It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.