The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The United Arab Emirates fits inside Russia 174 times.
Russia: 17,125,200 km² (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 98,648 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Russia’s coastline is 29 times as long as the United Arab Emirates’.
Russia: 37,653 km (2026 edition) · United Arab Emirates: 1,318 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Russia’s highest peak towers 3,737 m above the United Arab Emirates’.
Russia: 5,642 m (2026 edition) · United Arab Emirates: 1,905 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Russia has 12 times as many people as the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 144 million (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 11.5 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The United Arab Emirates is 18 times as densely populated as Russia.
Russia: 9 per km² (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 162 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Russia are 2.6 cm taller than in the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 176.7 cm (2019) · United Arab Emirates: 174.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Russia are 4.0 cm taller than in the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 164.5 cm (2019) · United Arab Emirates: 160.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Russia is 8.2 years older than in the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 39.5 years (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 31.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Russia have 0.2 more children on average than in the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 1.42 children per woman (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 1.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
18% of people in Russia are 65 or older, versus 1.8% in the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 17.8% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 1.8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Russia has produced 2.0 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the United Arab Emirates 0.0.
Russia: 2 (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Russia and the United Arab Emirates are practically level.
Russia: 1 (2026) · United Arab Emirates: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Russia’s economy is 4.6 times the size of the United Arab Emirates’.
Russia: $2.56 trillion (2025) · United Arab Emirates: $552 billion (2024)
How much is produced per person?
The United Arab Emirates produces 60% more per person than Russia.
Russia: Int$49,568 (2025) · United Arab Emirates: Int$79,344 (2024)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Russia than in the United Arab Emirates (Gini 6.6 points higher).
Russia: 33 (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 26.4 (2018)
How many people are looking for work?
The United Arab Emirates and Russia are practically level.
Russia: 2.1% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 2.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Russia spends 7.1% of its GDP on the military, the United Arab Emirates 5.6%.
Russia: 7.1% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 5.6% (2014)
How expensive is it?
The United Arab Emirates’ price level (US = 100) is 1.8× Russia’s.
Russia: 35% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 63% (2024)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United Arab Emirates spends 2.4 times as much on health per person as Russia.
Russia: $1,003 (2023) · United Arab Emirates: $2,402 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in the United Arab Emirates live 9.6 years longer than in Russia.
Russia: 73.4 years (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 83.1 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Russia is 8% more likely to die before turning one than in the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 3.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Russia has 71% more doctors per person than the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 5.1 per 1,000 (2022) · United Arab Emirates: 3 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
30% of adults in the United Arab Emirates are obese, versus 21% in Russia.
Russia: 21.2% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 30.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Russia smoke, versus 9.0% in the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 27% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the United Arab Emirates rate their lives 0.99 points higher than in Russia.
Russia: 5.83 (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Russia drink 16 times as much alcohol as in the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 10.4 litres (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 0.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Russia has 25% more meat per person than the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 84.8 kg (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 67.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Russia has 403 kcal more food per person per day than the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 3,528 kcal (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 3,125 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United Arab Emirates put in 428 more hours a year than in Russia.
Russia: 2,087 hours (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 2,514 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United Arab Emirates went to school 0.58 years longer than in Russia.
Russia: 12.4 years (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 13 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Russia: no data · 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 Russia.
Russia: 94% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 100% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Russia and the United Arab Emirates are practically level.
Russia: 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 Russia.
Russia: 75% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 86% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The United Arab Emirates has 203 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Russia 186.
Russia: 186 (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 203 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Russia’s railway network is 307 times as long as the United Arab Emirates’.
Russia: 85,544 km (2021) · United Arab Emirates: 279 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United Arab Emirates fly 11 times as many passengers per resident as those from Russia.
Russia: 0.69 (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 7.91 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 50% of Russia, but only 4.5% of the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 49.8% (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 4.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United Arab Emirates emits 64% more CO₂ than someone in Russia.
Russia: 12.3 t (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 20.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
17% of Russia’s electricity is renewable, versus 8.8% in the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 17.4% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 8.8% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in the United Arab Emirates carries 4.3 times as much fine dust as in Russia.
Russia: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 55.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 11 times as likely to be murdered in Russia as in the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 7.8 per 100k (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 0.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Russia are 80% deadlier than in the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 10.6 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 31.4 °C warmer than Russia.
Russia: -2.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · United Arab Emirates: 28.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Russia gets 12 times as much rain as the United Arab Emirates.
Russia: 586 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United Arab Emirates: 47 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Russia bigger than the United Arab Emirates?
Russia is larger. The United Arab Emirates fits inside Russia 174 times.
Which has more people, Russia or the United Arab Emirates?
Russia has 12 times as many people as the United Arab Emirates (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Russia or the United Arab Emirates?
People in the United Arab Emirates live 9.6 years longer than in Russia. Life expectancy at birth is 73.4 years in Russia and 83.1 in the United Arab Emirates.
Are people taller in Russia or the United Arab Emirates?
Men in Russia are 2.6 cm taller than in the United Arab Emirates (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
