26 September 2026
Dubai had 4,580,300 residents at the end of 2025, 1.102 million or 31.68% more than the 3,478,300 recorded in 2021, and 80.34% of them, 3,679,771 people, were aged 20 to 59. The figures come from Dubai Health Authority (DHA) statistics reported by Emarat Al Youm and Gulf News on 26 September 2026. The 20 to 59 age group grew by 917,405 people, or 33.21%, in four years, faster than the population as a whole. Residents aged 40 to 59 added the most people, 392,362 or 47.54%, and the 35 to 39 bracket grew by 48.61%.
Dubai population by age: the DHA figures
The DHA data compare the end of 2025 with 2021 and break the population down by age. The table sums up the main groups.
| Age group | 2021 | 2025 | Change | Share in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | 632,757 | 756,497 | +123,740 (+19.6%) | 16.52% |
| 20 to 29 | 849,380 | 1,064,309 | +214,929 (+25.3%) | 23.24% |
| 30 to 39 | 1,087,610 | 1,397,724 | +310,114 (+28.51%) | 30.52% |
| 40 to 59 | 825,376 | 1,217,738 | +392,362 (+47.54%) | 26.59% |
| 60 and over | 83,177 | 144,032 | +60,855 (+73.2%) | 3.15% |
| Total | 3,478,300 | 4,580,300 | +1,102,000 (+31.68%) | 100% |
The changes for residents under 20 and aged 60 and over are our calculation from the published numbers; the other growth rates are as reported. The five groups add up to the total in both years.
Working-age residents: 3.68 million
The 20 to 59 group, which the DHA data treat as working age, reached 3,679,771 people at the end of 2025. It comprised 2,663,498 men, or 72.38% of the group, and 1,016,273 women, or 27.62%. In 2021 the same group numbered 2,762,366.
Inside the working-age block the picture is uneven:
- 20 to 29: 1,064,309 residents, 23.24% of the population, up 214,929 or 25.3% from 849,380 in 2021. The 20 to 24 bracket grew from 272,589 to 400,465, or 46.91%, and its share rose from 7.84% to 8.74%.
- 30 to 39: the largest group at 1,397,724, or 30.52% of all residents, up 310,114 or 28.51%. The 30 to 34 bracket remains the single largest five-year group with 707,796 people (15.45%), against 623,368 in 2021. The 35 to 39 bracket rose from 464,242 to 689,928, an increase of 225,686 or 48.61%.
- 40 to 59: 1,217,738 residents, 26.59% of the total, up from 825,376 (23.73%) in 2021. The 40 to 44 bracket grew from 370,177 to 539,388 and the 45 to 49 bracket from 236,729 to 349,574. Residents aged 50 to 54 grew by 81,699, or 65.13%, the highest growth rate among the five-year brackets in the published data.
The shift is visible in the shares. The 20 to 29 and 30 to 39 groups each lost a little weight in the total, while the 40 to 59 group gained almost three percentage points. Dubai’s growth over the four years was not limited to young new arrivals: residents aged 30 to 59 accounted for 702,476 of the 1,102,000 increase, almost two thirds.
Men, women, children and older residents
At the end of 2025 Dubai had 3,138,200 male residents (68.52%) and 1,442,100 female residents (31.48%). In 2021 the split was 2,400,100 men (69.0%) and 1,078,200 women (31.0%), so the balance moved only slightly towards women.
Residents under 20 numbered 756,497, or 16.52% of the population, up from 632,757. Their share fell from 18.19% because other groups grew faster. At the other end, 144,032 residents were aged 60 and over, 3.15% of the total, against 83,177 (2.38%) in 2021. Emarat Al Youm notes that this share is far below the levels of many global cities that face an ageing population.
How the DHA data fit the official population count
The total matches the figure Dubai published in July. On 30 July 2026 Digital Dubai, through the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment, announced that the population reached 4.580 million by the end of 2025, about 332,000 more than a year earlier, a growth rate of 7.5%. The release called it one of the highest rates in the history of the emirate; the record, 8.2%, dates back to the 1980 census.
Later figures show further growth: The National reported on 24 September 2026 that Dubai’s population reached 4.74 million by the end of June 2026. The DHA age breakdown, however, is available only for the end of 2025.
The count no longer relies on a traditional census. Under the Dubai Population Now initiative, approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the establishment builds the figure from administrative records of government entities, including the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), RTA, DEWA, DHA, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Land Department and KHDA. A real-time Population Clock is available on the Data Dubai portal.
The same release gave the daytime picture: on average 6.392 million people are in Dubai at peak daytime hours, the residents plus more than 1.812 million people present temporarily, most of them for work or tourism. It also linked population growth to real GDP growth of 5.4% in 2025, 19.6 million international visitors and about 96 million passengers at Dubai airports. We covered the headline count and the new method in our July piece on Dubai’s population passing 4.5 million.
What the numbers mean for companies in Dubai
The DHA data do not change any rule or fee. They describe the market a company works in: who lives in the emirate, who it can hire and who it sells to.
- Hiring. 3.68 million residents aged 20 to 59 already live in Dubai, and 1.2 million of them are 40 to 59, the group Emarat Al Youm describes as the age of leadership and planning experience. Hiring someone who already lives in Dubai still requires a work permit tied to the new employer and, in most cases, a residence visa that the employer sponsors: through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) for a mainland company, through the free zone authority for a free zone company. The number of visas a company can sponsor depends on its licence and, in most cases, its office space, so headcount plans belong in the licence decision.
- Customers. The largest group, 1.4 million residents aged 30 to 39, and the fast-growing 40 to 59 group set the core of consumer demand. For a business plan the official breakdown by age is a better base than rough estimates.
- Families. 756,497 residents are under 20. Dubai is opening 26 new private education institutions in the 2026-27 academic year, as we reported in our piece on new schools, nurseries and universities in Dubai.
- Older residents. The number of residents aged 60 and over rose by 60,855 in four years. For the retirement plans of affluent residents and the visa rules behind them, see our article on affluent UAE residents who plan to retire in the country.
Checklist: using Dubai population data in a business plan
- Take the total from official sources: 4,580,300 residents at the end of 2025, the same figure from DHA and the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment.
- Size your audience by age group rather than by the total, for example 1,397,724 residents aged 30 to 39 or 1,217,738 aged 40 to 59.
- For retail, food and transport projects, count the daytime population as well: 6.392 million on average at peak hours.
- Decide on headcount and the number of visas before you choose between a mainland and a free zone licence.
- Budget residence visas for staff and, where relevant, for their families.
How Atlant Capital can help
We help founders and foreign groups set up in Dubai and build a team there, from the choice of jurisdiction to the licence, the bank account and visas.
- Company setup: licence, registration and the documents each jurisdiction requires.
- Work visas and residency for founders, staff and their families.
- Bank account opening: preparing the KYC file for a corporate account.
For the full sequence of steps, see our guide to company formation in the UAE. How employee and family residence works is set out in our UAE residency visa guide, and the difference between licence routes in our comparison of mainland and free zone companies.
Conclusion
Dubai grew by 1.102 million residents between 2021 and 2025, to 4,580,300, and four in five of them are aged 20 to 59. The growth came mostly from people in the middle of their careers: the 40 to 59 group added 392,362 residents and the 35 to 39 bracket grew by almost half. For companies this is data, not a new rule: it shows the size of the talent pool and of the customer base in the emirate, and the licence and visa plan still decides how quickly a company can hire from it.
Source: Gulf News, Emarat Al Youm, Digital Dubai.
FAQ
What is the population of Dubai in 2025?
Dubai had 4,580,300 residents at the end of 2025, according to Dubai Health Authority statistics, the same figure the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment announced in July 2026. That is 1.102 million, or 31.68%, more than the 3,478,300 residents in 2021 and about 332,000, or 7.5%, more than at the end of 2024.
What share of Dubai residents are of working age?
At the end of 2025, 80.34% of Dubai residents, 3,679,771 people, were aged 20 to 59. The group grew by 917,405 people, or 33.21%, from 2,762,366 in 2021. Men made up 72.38% of the working-age group and women 27.62%.
Which age group is the largest in Dubai?
Residents aged 30 to 39 are the largest group, with 1,397,724 people or 30.52% of the population at the end of 2025. The largest five-year bracket is 30 to 34, with 707,796 residents. The 35 to 39 bracket grew by 48.61% from 2021 to 689,928.
How many men and women live in Dubai?
At the end of 2025 Dubai had 3,138,200 male residents, 68.52% of the population, and 1,442,100 female residents, 31.48%. In 2021 the split was 2,400,100 men (69.0%) and 1,078,200 women (31.0%), so the share of women rose slightly over four years.
