According to the World Fertility Report 2024, the UAE has experienced a dramatic decline in its fertility rate over the past three decades, falling from 3.76 live births per woman in 1994 to 1.21 in 2024. However, projections indicate a slight rebound, with the rate expected to rise to 1.34 by 2054. Experts attribute this decline largely to the lifestyle choices of the country’s residents.
In response, the UAE government has implemented measures to support family growth, including establishing a dedicated Ministry of Family and upgrading the Ministry of Community Development to the Ministry of Community Empowerment. Additionally, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Community Development has launched a program featuring six initiatives aimed at encouraging marriage, child-rearing, and overall family cohesion among Emiratis. During a virtual session of the Federal National Council in January 2025, citizens suggested that reducing working hours and extending maternity leave could further help improve fertility rates.
The UN report also highlights a global trend: fertility rates below two births per woman are becoming the norm, a shift that, if unaddressed, could lead to population decline and an aging society. This trend is evident across the Gulf, with Saudi Arabia’s rate dropping from 5.16 in 1994 to 2.31 in 2024 (projected to fall further to 1.85), Oman’s from 5.36 to 2.51, Kuwait’s from 3.27 to 1.51—the lowest in the region—Qatar’s from 3.66 to 1.72, and Bahrain’s from 3.29 to 1.8.
Globally, the average fertility rate in 2024 is 2.2 births per woman, a significant decrease from around 5 in the 1960s. Projections show this average will drop to the replacement level of 2.1 by 2050 and further decline to 1.8 by 2100. The report notes that over half of the countries, representing more than two-thirds of the world’s population—including major nations like India, China, the US, Brazil, and Russia—now have fertility rates below 2.1. Conversely, 17% of countries currently exceed this level but are expected to fall below it within the next 30 years, with Indonesia and Bangladesh among the most populous. Furthermore, in more than one in ten countries, fertility rates are already below 1.4 births per woman, with China, South Korea, Singapore, and Ukraine recording rates under 1.0.
