Workers 'pour in' despite downturn

The UAE population has continued to grow in the face of the global economic downturn reaching 8.19 million last year, a jump from 8.07 million.

The vast majority of the UAE's population falls into the 15 to 59 age group.

The population has continued to grow in the face of the global economic downturn. It reached 8.19 million last year, a jump from 8.07 million according to figures based on the National Bureau of Statistics' (NBS) internal "administrative records". "Despite the global financial crisis, which contributed to the slowdown in economic activity and the associated decline in the demand for labour in various projects throughout the GCC region, there are indications that expatriates continued to arrive in the various emirates," said the report.

Male expatriates outnumbered women due to the large number of men "pouring" into the various emirates in search of work. An official at the NBS, said the bureau's estimates were "record-based", compiled from information provided by the Ministry of Interior and Emirates Identity Authority rather than a door-to-door census. A population of 8.19 million is larger than previous estimates from other sources.

This year, the National Human Resources Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia) projected that the population would rise in 2010 to 7. 5 million from 5.6 million, increasing by 1.9 million people as per the official population statistical report issued in 2006. Tanmia also said the UAE population doubles every 8.7 years compared with 55 years for the world's population. Based on preliminary estimates, the proportion of workers in the 15-59 age group was the highest, at 81.9 per cent of the total population in both 2008 and 2009, said the report. The age group 0-14 constituted 16.8 per cent of the population, while senior citizens, 60-plus, make up only 1.3 per cent.

The report also highlighted that for each 100 Emirati females, there are 103 national males. The share of nationals with secondary degrees and higher reached 47 per cent with an illiteracy rate of seven per cent. This compared with 54 per cent with secondary and higher degrees among the whole population and an illiteracy rate of five per cent in the country as a whole. Quality of life and social welfare also came under scrutiny. The report said the UAE was ranked as offering the best quality of life in the Middle East and North Africa region by the Economist Intelligence Unit 2009 Quality of Life Index.

The UAE ranked 15 out of 160 countries surveyed by the index. At the same time, between 2005 and 2009, the UAE saw an increase of about 25 per cent in the number of cases receiving social assistance. The amount of assistance increased from Dh783.5 million (US$213m) to Dh2.3bn ($633m), almost a 200 per cent increase. * [e-mail]