AJMAN // Economic growth has led to a steady rise of the smallest emirate's population in the past two years, the Ajman Executive Council says.
Statistics showed there were 262,186 people in Ajman at the end of last year, compared with 250,186 in 2009 and 237,000 in 2008.
The total number of Emiratis was 42,186 last year, figures released by the Ajman Executive Council show.
Dr Yasmin Joudi, the director of the department of statistics at the council, said economic growth had attracted more people to the emirate and caused the population growth.
There were 5,269 births last year, compared with 4,806 in 2009, and 419 deaths, 23 fewer than the previous year. There were also fewer marriages and more divorces last year. Marriage contracts were down to 945 last year from 1,023 in 2009. And 194 people filed for divorce, compared with 179 in 2009.
Figures from the Ajman Municipality and Planning Directorate also showed growth in trade, with 30,000 trading licences issued last year, up from 27,328 in 2009.
The medical infrastructure consists of the Ajman Medical Zone, which has one government hospital, five health centres and five dental centres. There were also two private hospitals, 103 clinics, 95 pharmacies and seven laboratories.
The Ajman Education Zone reported there were 41 registered government schools for boys and girls, offering education to 15,655 students. Twenty private schools offered classes to 29,204 pupils.
The Government employed 5,323 people, most of whom worked for the police and municipality.
The figures were a summary of data collected from different departments in Ajman and research conducted by the emirate in cooperation with the National Bureau of Statistics, Dr Joudi said.
Statistics were vital for all government development programmes, said Saeed Saif Al Matroushi, the secretary general of the council.
"The importance of statistical surveys is to provide a reference database for investors, experts and researchers in different areas," Mr Al Matroushi said.
"These surveys have helped Ajman maintain its development vision and credited the emirate with transparency."
