Freedom in United Arab Emirates
Where United Arab Emirates sits on every statistic this site carries, each against the countries the same source covers. United Arab Emirates has a figure for 52 of 60 indicators.
Personal
What a person may say, believe, publish, join and where they may go.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of expression | 0.063 | 2025 | 152 of 163 |
| Freedom of association | 0.040 | 2025 | 154 of 163 |
| Civil liberties | 0.339 | 2025 | 132 of 163 |
| Freedom from political violence | 0.633 | 2025 | 102 of 163 |
| Equal protection of rights | 0.199 | 2025 | 147 of 163 |
| Academic freedom | 0.195 | 2025 | 134 of 163 |
| Media censorship effort | -1.693 | 2025 | 140 of 163 |
| Harassment of journalists | -2.538 | 2025 | 161 of 163 |
| Media self-censorship | -2.201 | 2025 | 153 of 163 |
| Universal right to vote | 0.000 | 2025 | 140 of 167 |
| Legal rights for women | 82.5 | 2023 | 75 of 164 |
| Women can get a passport as men do | 1.000 | 2023 | 4 of 164 |
| Access to justice for women | 0.000 | 2025 | 44 of 163 |
| Access to justice for men | 0.000 | 2025 | 55 of 163 |
| Civil liberties score | 13.0 | 2025 | 137 of 167 |
| Political rights score | 5.0 | 2025 | 126 of 167 |
Economic
What a person may own, trade, earn and keep.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax revenue as a share of GDP | 0.6% | 2024 | 1 of 83 |
| Government spending as a share of GDP | 3.8% | 2023 | 1 of 79 |
| Regulatory quality | 72.6 | 2024 | 24 of 169 |
| Inflation | 1.3% | 2025 | — |
| Unemployment | 2.2% | 2025 | 17 of 163 |
Digital
What a person may read, send and encrypt online, and who is watching.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet use | 100.0% | 2024 | 1 of 154 |
| Fixed broadband subscriptions | 40.8 | 2024 | 15 of 134 |
| Mobile subscriptions | 203.2 | 2024 | 3 of 134 |
Government
How power is held, checked and abused.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electoral democracy | 0.104 | 2025 | 156 of 163 |
| Liberal democracy | 0.077 | 2025 | 141 of 163 |
| Rule of law | 0.638 | 2025 | 69 of 163 |
| Judicial checks on government | 0.141 | 2025 | 140 of 163 |
| Legislative checks on government | 0.161 | 2025 | 131 of 157 |
| Political corruption | 0.105 | 2025 | 27 of 163 |
| Civil society participation | 0.273 | 2025 | 141 of 163 |
| Women’s political empowerment | 0.614 | 2025 | 122 of 163 |
| Voice and accountability | 41.9 | 2024 | 114 of 170 |
| Control of corruption | 71.5 | 2024 | 25 of 170 |
| Government effectiveness | 75.8 | 2024 | 20 of 169 |
| Political stability | 79.4 | 2024 | 21 of 170 |
Society
Health, schooling, safety and who takes part.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Development Index | 0.940 | 2023 | 13 of 165 |
| Life expectancy | 83.1 | 2024 | 11 of 170 |
| Adult literacy | 98.8% | 2024 | 3 of 27 |
| Secondary school enrolment | 102.1% | 2024 | 24 of 85 |
| Health spending | 5.0% | 2023 | — |
| Health costs paid out of pocket | 9.7% | 2023 | 16 of 164 |
| Maternal mortality | 3.0 | 2023 | 6 of 167 |
| Women in parliament | 50.0% | 2025 | 6 of 156 |
| Women in the workforce | 53.0% | 2025 | — |
| Fertility rate | 1.21 | 2024 | — |
| Urban population | 86.0% | 2025 | — |
| Refugees who left | 2.4 | 2024 | 44 of 168 |
| Population | 11.5M | 2025 | — |
Environment
Energy, emissions and access to power.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO₂ emissions per person | 18.26 | 2024 | 159 of 165 |
| Renewable energy use | 1.0% | 2021 | 159 of 169 |
| Access to electricity | 100.0% | 2024 | 2 of 169 |
What is missing
8 of the 60 statistics here have no figure for United Arab Emirates in the year they were last ranked. Coverage differs by source: an indicator missing here is one its producer does not publish for United Arab Emirates, not a zero. Who publishes what