Land Area
United Arab Emirates
83,600 km²
Largest
State of Qatar
11,581 km²
13.9% of largest
United Arab Emirates is 7.22× larger than State of Qatar
Population
United Arab Emirates
LARGEST
9.89M
PEOPLE
State of Qatar
27.2% OF LARGEST
2.7M
PEOPLE
United Arab Emirates has 3.67× the population of State of Qatar
GDP
United Arab Emirates
LARGEST
$421.14B
State of Qatar
55.8% OF LARGEST
$235.0B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
United Arab Emirates
LARGEST
63K
TROOPS
State of Qatar
18.7% OF LARGEST
11.8K
TROOPS
United Arab Emirates has 5.34× the active personnel of State of Qatar
Air Force
United Arab Emirates
LARGEST
552
AIRCRAFT
State of Qatar
20.7% OF LARGEST
114
AIRCRAFT
United Arab Emirates has 4.84× the aircraft of State of Qatar
Naval Assets
State of Qatar
United Arab Emirates
Wealth
Gold Reserves
State of Qatar
LARGEST
110.8
Metric Tonnes
United Arab Emirates
67.1% OF LARGEST
74.4
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
United Arab Emirates
LARGEST
$232B
Reserves · excl. gold
State of Qatar
19.4% OF LARGEST
$45B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
United Arab Emirates
MOST
18
billionaires
State of Qatar
—
Oil
Proven Reserves
United Arab Emirates
LARGEST
113
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
United Arab Emirates
NET EXPORTER
Production
3.7M b/d
Consumption
1.0M b/d
+2.8M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
State of Qatar
$161.7B
Exports
$161.7B
Imports
$74.5B
Trade Balance
+$87.2B
Trade Surplus
United Arab Emirates
$558.4B
Exports
$558.4B
Imports
$481.9B
Trade Balance
+$76.6B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
State of Qatar
supply
United Arab Emirates
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
United Arab Emirates
consumption
State of Qatar
Beer
litres / person / yr
United Arab Emirates
consumption
State of Qatar
supply
Wine
litres / person / yr
United Arab Emirates
consumption
State of Qatar
supply
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
State of Qatar
consumption
United Arab Emirates
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
State of Qatar
United Arab Emirates
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
State of Qatar
2
Gold
2
Silver
5
Bronze
9
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 9
❄ Winter: 0
United Arab Emirates
1
Gold
0
Silver
1
Bronze
2
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 2
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
State of Qatar
United Arab Emirates
Age Demographics
Median Age
United Arab Emirates
33.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
State of Qatar
32.8
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
United Arab Emirates is 0.4 years older (median) than State of Qatar
Youth Population
State of Qatar has the highest youth population at 41.7% (under 30)
Elderly Population
United Arab Emirates has the highest elderly population at 5% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
State of Qatar
|
United Arab Emirates
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations | — |
185
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year | — |
25.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time | — |
0
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide | — |
1
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
State of Qatar
|
United Arab Emirates
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
N/A |
| Rent Index |
|
N/A |
| Groceries Index |
|
N/A |
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
N/A |
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
N/A |
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $11.0 | N/A |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $73.0 | N/A |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $1,200.0 | N/A |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $800.0 | N/A |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $65.0 | N/A |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $55.0 | N/A |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $45.0 | N/A |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | State of Qatar | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2695122 | 9890402 |
| Area (sq km) | 11581 | 83600 |
| Capital | Doha | Abu Dhabi |
| Official Language | Arabic | Arabic |
| Currency | Qatari Riyal (QAR) | United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) |
| Government Type | Absolute monarchy | Federal elective constitutional monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | State of Qatar | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 11,800 | 63,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 0 | 0 |
| Total Military Personnel | 11,800 | 63,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $11,900,000,000.0 | $22,755,000,000 |
| Tanks | 30 | 538 |
| Armored Vehicles | 440 | 2,000 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 28 | 181 |
| Towed Artillery | 24 | 93 |
| Rocket Projectors | 28 | 88 |
Economy
| Metric | State of Qatar | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $235,000,000,000.0 | $421,142,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $87,200.0 | $42,580 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 0.1% | 2.4% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 41.1 | 32.5 |
| Currency | Qatari Riyal (QAR) | United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| State of Qatar Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 0.9912 Weaker |
| United Arab Emirates Currency | 1.0089 Stronger | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | QAR | AED |
| 1 USD equals | 3.6400 QAR Updated: 2026-06-27 | 3.6725 AED Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
United Arab Emirates is 7.2 times larger in area than State of Qatar.
United Arab Emirates has 3.7 times more people than State of Qatar.
State of Qatar has the highest GDP per capita at $87,200.0 among the selected countries.
United Arab Emirates has the largest economy with a GDP of
$421.14 billion.
United Arab Emirates has the largest active military personnel with 63,000 troops.
United Arab Emirates has the largest air force with 552 aircraft.
State of Qatar has the largest navy with 123 vessels.
State of Qatar vs United Arab Emirates: Key Comparisons
Economy: United Arab Emirates's GDP of $421B is 1.8x larger than State of Qatar's $235B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: United Arab Emirates's population of 10M is 3.7x larger than State of Qatar's 3M.
Area: United Arab Emirates covers 83,600 km², making it 7.2x larger than State of Qatar.
Military: United Arab Emirates fields 63Thousand active troops vs State of Qatar's 12Thousand.
Trade: State of Qatar runs a trade surplus of $87B while United Arab Emirates runs a trade surplus of $77B.
Life Expectancy: State of Qatar leads with a life expectancy of 79 years vs United Arab Emirates's 78.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology