Dubai’s population rises by 1.1 million in four years, reaching 4.58 million.
Dubai: More than four in five Dubai residents were aged between 20 and 59 at the end of 2025, with the emirate’s working-age population reaching nearly 3.68 million, according to the latest figures from the Dubai Health Authority.
Residents in the 20-to-59 age bracket accounted for 80.34 per cent of Dubai’s total population of 4,580,300. The number of people in this age group increased by 917,405 over four years, rising from 2,762,366 in 2021 — an increase of 33.21 per cent.
Of the working-age population in 2025, 2,663,498 were men, representing 72.38 per cent of the group, while 1,016,273 were women, accounting for the remaining 27.62 per cent, Emarat Al Youm reported.
The figures highlight the strong concentration of Dubai’s population within the working-age bracket, particularly among residents aged between 20 and 59.
Dubai’s total population expanded by 1.102 million between 2021 and 2025, climbing from 3,478,300 to 4,580,300. This represented growth of 31.68 per cent over the four-year period.
At the end of 2025, men made up 3,138,200 of Dubai’s residents, accounting for 68.52 per cent of the population, while women numbered 1,442,100, representing 31.48 per cent.
The gender distribution remained broadly similar to 2021, when the emirate had 2,400,100 male residents, or 69 per cent of the population, compared with 1,078,200 female residents, or 31 per cent.
Residents aged 30 to 39 remain the largest group
People aged between 30 and 39 continued to make up the largest share of Dubai’s population in 2025.
The age group comprised 1,397,724 residents, representing 30.52 per cent of the emirate’s total population. This was 310,114 more than the 1,087,610 recorded in 2021, marking an increase of 28.51 per cent over four years.
Within the 30-to-39 age group, residents aged 30 to 34 remained Dubai’s largest single five-year age bracket, with 707,796 people in 2025, equivalent to 15.45 per cent of the emirate’s total population.
In 2021, the same age group comprised 623,368 residents and accounted for a higher 17.92 per cent share of Dubai’s then-smaller population.
Growth was considerably stronger among residents aged 35 to 39. Their numbers jumped from 464,242 in 2021 to 689,928 in 2025 — an increase of 225,686 people, or 48.61 per cent.
The growth of these age groups has contributed to Dubai’s substantial concentration of residents in age brackets commonly associated with established careers and high levels of workforce participation.
More than one million Dubai residents are in their 20s
Dubai was also home to more than 1.06 million people aged between 20 and 29 in 2025, representing 23.24 per cent of the emirate’s population.
The number increased by 214,929 from 849,380 in 2021, representing growth of 25.3 per cent over the four-year period.
Residents aged 20 to 24 recorded particularly strong growth, with their numbers climbing from 272,589 in 2021 to 400,465 in 2025.
That marked an increase of 46.91 per cent in four years. The age group’s share of Dubai’s overall population also rose from 7.84 per cent in 2021 to 8.74 per cent in 2025.
Dubai’s sizeable population in its 20s provides the emirate with a substantial pool of young residents entering their careers or making the transition from higher education into the workforce.
Strong growth among older working-age residents
Some of the fastest population growth was recorded among residents aged between 40 and 59.
The number of people in this age group reached 1,217,738 in 2025, accounting for 26.59 per cent of Dubai’s total population.
That was up from 825,376 residents in 2021, when the group represented 23.73 per cent of the emirate’s population. The increase of 392,362 people translated into growth of 47.54 per cent over four years.
The 40-to-44 age group expanded from 370,177 residents in 2021 to 539,388 in 2025, while the number of people aged 45 to 49 climbed from 236,729 to 349,574 during the same period.
Even stronger proportional growth was recorded among residents aged 50 to 54, whose numbers increased by 81,699, or 65.13 per cent, over the four years.
The figures show that Dubai’s population expansion extended beyond younger workers, with significant growth also occurring among older and more experienced working-age residents.
Under-20s make up 16.5% of Dubai’s population
Dubai had 756,497 residents under the age of 20 in 2025, representing 16.52 per cent of the emirate’s total population.
This was an increase from 632,757 in 2021. However, the group’s share of the overall population fell from 18.19 per cent as other age categories expanded at a faster pace.
At the other end of the age spectrum, 144,032 Dubai residents were aged 60 or above in 2025, accounting for 3.15 per cent of the population.
That marked a substantial increase from 2021, when 83,177 residents were aged 60 and above, representing 2.38 per cent of the total population.
Overall, the figures underline Dubai’s predominantly working-age demographic profile. Nearly 3.68 million of the emirate’s 4.58 million residents were aged between 20 and 59 at the end of 2025, meaning fewer than one in five residents fell outside this age range.
