Dubai nears four million residents as population doubles in 15 years

Dubai’s population is on the verge of surpassing four million, according to the latest update from the Dubai Statistics Centre (DSC). As of August 26, the emirate’s population clock recorded 3,999,247 citizens and residents.

The milestone highlights Dubai’s remarkable demographic transformation. In 1975, the population was just 175,000, meaning the emirate has grown by 2,185 percent in less than five decades. The city reached two million on December 24, 2011, doubling in under 15 years despite the global financial crisis that hit its property sector between 2008 and 2010. Landmark projects such as the Dubai Metro in 2009 and the Burj Khalifa in 2010 marked the emirate’s renewed momentum.

Surge Since the Pandemic

The most dramatic surge has come in recent years. Dubai is now considered a safe haven for global millionaires, attracting steady inflows from the UK, India, Russia, South-East Asia and Africa.

The UK alone is projected to lose 16,500 millionaires in 2024, the largest net outflow of high-net-worth individuals recorded anywhere in the past decade. Many have chosen Dubai as their new base, with about 30,000 Britons relocating in 2021, 35,000 in 2022 and 40,000 in 2023. Today, nearly 240,000 British nationals live in the emirate.

Dubai has also seen a sharp rise in residents from Russia and Ukraine since 2022, following the outbreak of war.

Wealth Hub of the Middle East

Reports confirm Dubai’s standing as one of the world’s fastest-growing wealth hubs. According to New World Wealth and Henley & Partners, the emirate hosted 81,200 millionaires, 237 centimillionaires and 20 billionaires in 2024, a sharp rise from 72,500 millionaires, 212 centimillionaires and 15 billionaires in 2023.

With its expanding skyline, robust infrastructure and investor-friendly policies, Dubai’s near-four-million population reflects its global reputation as a magnet for talent and investment.