Dubai’s resident population reached 4.58 million by the end of 2025, an increase of around 332,000 people on the year prior and a growth rate of 7.5 per cent, according to the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment.
The figure is among the highest growth rates the emirate has recorded in its history.
The announcement came alongside the approval by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, of a new real-time census and population monitoring project, replacing the traditional census model Dubai last used in 2005.
The system draws on administrative records, smart infrastructure and AI to update population data continuously rather than at fixed intervals.
The resident figure rises sharply when temporary presence is factored in. During peak daytime hours, the number of people in the emirate reaches 6.39 million, including more than 1.812 million people present for work, tourism, study or shopping.
Officials said that figure carries direct implications for infrastructure planning across transport, housing, healthcare and education.
Younus Al Nasser, Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment, framed the population growth as a symptom of broader economic momentum. Dubai’s real GDP grew 5.4 per cent in 2025, the emirate received 19.6 million international tourists, and around 96 million passengers moved through its airports during the year.
“The ‘Dubai Population Now’ initiative goes beyond providing accurate and updated population data to become a strategic tool for understanding the population landscape, anticipating changes and supporting smarter decision-making,” Al Nasser said.
The project was built through cooperation across ten government entities, including the Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Municipality, and the Department of Economy and Tourism, among others.
Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director-General of Digital Dubai, described it as “a new strategic milestone in Dubai’s journey towards consolidating a global model for a data- and artificial intelligence-driven digital government.”
For context on the scale of growth: Dubai’s population was estimated at around 12,000 people in 1881. The emirate now counts more than 4.58 million residents, an increase of roughly 380-fold over 144 years.
