The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The United Arab Emirates fits inside Finland 3.4 times.
Finland: 338,480 km² (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 98,648 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The United Arab Emirates’ coastline is 5% longer than Finland’s.
Finland: 1,250 km (2026 edition) · United Arab Emirates: 1,318 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The United Arab Emirates’ highest peak towers 577 m above Finland’s.
Finland: 1,328 m (2026 edition) · United Arab Emirates: 1,905 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United Arab Emirates has 2 times as many people as Finland.
Finland: 5.65 million (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 11.5 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The United Arab Emirates is 8.7 times as densely populated as Finland.
Finland: 19 per km² (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 162 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Finland are 6.5 cm taller than in the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 180.6 cm (2019) · United Arab Emirates: 174.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Finland are 5.9 cm taller than in the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 166.5 cm (2019) · United Arab Emirates: 160.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Finland is 12 years older than in the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 42.8 years (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 31.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Finland have 0.0 more children on average than in the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 1.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Finland are 65 or older, versus 1.8% in the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 24.2% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 1.8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Finland has produced 8.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the United Arab Emirates 0.0.
Finland: 8.9 (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Finland has 2 official languages, the United Arab Emirates 1.
Finland: 2 (2026) · United Arab Emirates: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United Arab Emirates’ economy is 74% larger than Finland’s.
Finland: $317 billion (2025) · United Arab Emirates: $552 billion (2024)
How much is produced per person?
The United Arab Emirates produces 20% more per person than Finland.
Finland: Int$65,885 (2025) · United Arab Emirates: Int$79,344 (2024)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Finland than in the United Arab Emirates (Gini 1 points higher).
Finland: 27.4 (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 26.4 (2018)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.5% in Finland, versus 2.2% in the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 9.5% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 2.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United Arab Emirates spends 5.6% of its GDP on the military, Finland 2.3%.
Finland: 2.3% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 5.6% (2014)
How expensive is it?
Finland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× the United Arab Emirates’.
Finland: 85% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 63% (2024)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Finland spends 2.3 times as much on health per person as the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: $5,515 (2023) · United Arab Emirates: $2,402 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in the United Arab Emirates live 0.73 years longer than in Finland.
Finland: 82.3 years (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 83.1 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United Arab Emirates is 2 times as likely to die before turning one as in Finland.
Finland: 1.9 per 1,000 (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 3.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Finland has 21% more doctors per person than the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2021) · United Arab Emirates: 3 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
30% of adults in the United Arab Emirates are obese, versus 26% in Finland.
Finland: 26.2% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 30.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Finland smoke, versus 9.0% in the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 21.4% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Finland rate their lives 0.94 points higher than in the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 7.76 (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Finland drink 15 times as much alcohol as in the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 9.4 litres (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 0.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Finland has 2% more meat per person than the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 69.4 kg (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 67.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Finland has 221 kcal more food per person per day than the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 3,346 kcal (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 3,125 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United Arab Emirates put in 1,018 more hours a year than in Finland.
Finland: 1,497 hours (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 2,514 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
The United Arab Emirates and Finland are practically level.
Finland: 13 years (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 13 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The United Arab Emirates welcomed 2.9 times as many tourists per resident as Finland (2019).
Finland: 0.8 (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 2.28 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
100% of people in the United Arab Emirates are online, versus 94% in Finland.
Finland: 94% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 100% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Finland and the United Arab Emirates are practically level.
Finland: 100% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
86% of people in the United Arab Emirates live in cities, versus 75% in Finland.
Finland: 75% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 86% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The United Arab Emirates has 203 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Finland 126.
Finland: 126 (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 203 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Finland’s railway network is 21 times as long as the United Arab Emirates’.
Finland: 5,918 km (2021) · United Arab Emirates: 279 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United Arab Emirates fly 4.1 times as many passengers per resident as those from Finland.
Finland: 1.91 (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 7.91 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 74% of Finland, but only 4.5% of the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 73.7% (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 4.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United Arab Emirates emits 3.8 times as much CO₂ as someone in Finland.
Finland: 5.3 t (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 20.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Finland’s electricity is renewable, versus 8.8% in the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 56.5% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 8.8% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in the United Arab Emirates carries 10 times as much fine dust as in Finland.
Finland: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 55.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 42% more likely to be murdered in Finland than in the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 1 per 100k (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 0.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the United Arab Emirates are 40% deadlier than in Finland.
Finland: 4.2 per 100k (2021) · United Arab Emirates: 5.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The United Arab Emirates is on average 25.2 °C warmer than Finland.
Finland: 3.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · United Arab Emirates: 28.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Finland gets 16 times as much rain as the United Arab Emirates.
Finland: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United Arab Emirates: 47 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Finland bigger than the United Arab Emirates?
Finland is larger. The United Arab Emirates fits inside Finland 3.4 times.
Which has more people, Finland or the United Arab Emirates?
The United Arab Emirates has 2 times as many people as Finland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Finland or the United Arab Emirates?
People in the United Arab Emirates live 0.73 years longer than in Finland. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Finland and 83.1 in the United Arab Emirates.
Are people taller in Finland or the United Arab Emirates?
Men in Finland are 6.5 cm taller than in the United Arab Emirates (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
