Dubai population grew to 3.4 million even amid COVID

Dubai’s population reached 3,411,200 at the end of 2020, with an increase of 55,300 compared to the previous year, the Demographic report from Dubai Statistics Center has revealed.

Though the population grew at 1.63 per cent, the growth rate slowed down due to the impact of the pandemic as the population growth in the UAE, and Dubai in particularly, was affected primarily in terms of foreign labour recruitment and not limited to natural growth.

In spite of the pandemic, the emirate hosts more than four million people during rush hours, the report found. This is due to the exceptional dynamism and liveliness it has, being a local and global business hub and a tourist hotspot, the report further stated.

“Therefore, the number of people therein is increasing noticeably during the usual rush hours. The number of people in Dubai during such period surges to 4,420,370 i.e. around 1,009,170 persons reside in Dubai temporarily for purposes of work or tourism in most cases and this number is added to the usual number of residents in the emirate.

The report explained that the population growth is significantly impacted by the number of people who come to the emirate for purposes of work, residency or for travel. Therefore, the population growth rate is also affected by the net increase in people coming to the emirate and not only in terms of normal increases (births and deaths compared). “In respect of population of Emiratis, the growth rate is mainly subject to normal increases.”

Gender ratio

The report also revealed that the gender ratio among Emiratis is 99 males per 100 females.

“The population distribution of Emiratis domiciled in Dubai, in respect of gender, is equipollent — 49,6 per cent for males and 50.4 per cent for females. Thus, the gender ratio is 99 males per 100 females.”

However, in terms of age and gender composition of Dubai’s entire population that is permanently domiciled here, the male percentage is significantly higher than female percentage — 225 males per 100 females. The figure for males reached 2,362,255, while females number 1,048,945 in Dubai. This gender gap is because of the high percentage of male expatriates working in the emirate without their families, the report highlighted.