Expense in United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates: Expense was 3.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
3.8%
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
157th
of 157 countries
All-time high
6.5%
in 1998
All-time low
3.7%
in 2014
Years of data
16
1997–2023

Expense in United Arab Emirates, 1997–2023

02461997201020231997: 6.1 % of GDP1998: 6.5 % of GDP1999: 6.2 % of GDP2011: 3.9 % of GDP2012: 4.1 % of GDP2013: 3.8 % of GDP2014: 3.7 % of GDP2015: 4 % of GDP2016: 4.2 % of GDP2017: 3.9 % of GDP2018: 3.8 % of GDP2019: 4.1 % of GDP2020: 5.1 % of GDP2021: 4.3 % of GDP2022: 3.8 % of GDP2023: 3.8 % of GDP

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2023, expense in United Arab Emirates stood at 3.8%.

The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 1.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, expense in United Arab Emirates peaked at 6.5% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2014.

United Arab Emirates ranks 157th of 157 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.

Expense in United Arab Emirates, year by year

Annual values for Expense (% of GDP) in United Arab Emirates, 1997 to 2023.
Year % of GDP Change
1997 6.1%
1998 6.5% +8.2%
1999 6.2% -5.3%
2011 3.9% -36.7%
2012 4.1% +3.3%
2013 3.8% -5.7%
2014 3.7% -3.3%
2015 4.0% +8.8%
2016 4.2% +3.9%
2017 3.9% -6.9%
2018 3.8% -2.3%
2019 4.1% +8.0%
2020 5.1% +25.4%
2021 4.3% -17.2%
2022 3.8% -10.6%
2023 3.8% -1.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 6.3% 6.1% 6.5% 3
2010s 3.9% 3.7% 4.2% 9
2020s 4.2% 3.8% 5.1% 4

Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates

  1. 154 Somalia 6.3% compare
  2. 155 Lebanon 6.3% compare
  3. 156 Ethiopia 6.1% compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More economy & growth data for United Arab Emirates

All data for United Arab Emirates →

Frequently asked questions

What is expense in United Arab Emirates?
Expense in United Arab Emirates was 3.8% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest expense recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The highest recorded value was 6.5% in 1998.
What is the lowest expense recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2014.
How does United Arab Emirates rank for expense?
United Arab Emirates ranks 157th out of 157 countries with data for 2023.
Is expense rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Expense (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Expense in United Arab Emirates. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/expense-percent-of-gdp/united-arab-emirates/

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About this data

Indicator
Expense (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
183 places, 5,211 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.