Out-of-pocket expenditure in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Out-of-pocket expenditure was 9.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-pocket expenditure in United Arab Emirates, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of current health expenditure.
Analysis
In 2023, out-of-pocket expenditure in United Arab Emirates stood at 9.7%. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 43.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-pocket expenditure in United Arab Emirates peaked at 30.4% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 9.7%, in 2023.
United Arab Emirates ranks 171st of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Out-of-pocket expenditure in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 22.1% | — |
| 2001 | 15.1% | -31.7% |
| 2002 | 28.0% | +85.9% |
| 2003 | 27.5% | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 30.4% | +10.7% |
| 2005 | 30.1% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 29.7% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 28.9% | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 25.1% | -13.0% |
| 2009 | 16.1% | -35.9% |
| 2010 | 17.9% | +11.5% |
| 2011 | 16.9% | -5.9% |
| 2012 | 16.7% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 17.2% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 17.8% | +3.8% |
| 2015 | 17.8% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 16.0% | -10.1% |
| 2017 | 11.4% | -28.6% |
| 2018 | 12.7% | +11.2% |
| 2019 | 12.2% | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 11.2% | -8.3% |
| 2021 | 10.5% | -6.6% |
| 2022 | 9.7% | -7.2% |
| 2023 | 9.7% | -0.5% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 9.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 16.8%, 58% of the median. (64 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 9.7% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 34.5%, 28% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Out-of-pocket expenditure in United Arab Emirates changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +85.9% | 15.1% | 28.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 25.3% | 15.1% | 30.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.7% | 11.4% | 17.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.3% | 9.7% | 11.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More health data for United Arab Emirates
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.3472 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 308.9 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 287 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 6.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0264 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 3.35 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-pocket expenditure in United Arab Emirates?
- Out-of-pocket expenditure in United Arab Emirates was 9.7% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest out-of-pocket expenditure recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 30.4% in 2004.
- What is the lowest out-of-pocket expenditure recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.7% in 2023.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for out-of-pocket expenditure?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 171st out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-pocket expenditure rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is down 43.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Out-of-pocket expenditure (% of current health expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Share of out-of-pocket payments of total current health expenditures. Out-of-pocket payments are spending on health directly out-of-pocket by households.