This article presents United Arab Emirates's government budget balance through net lending or borrowing, revenue and expenditure as shares of GDP.
Net lending or borrowing by the government of United Arab Emirates was 0.4% of GDP in 2024, corresponding to a surplus. Revenue excluding grants represented 3.0% of GDP, while government expense accounted for 3.8%. The budget balance changed by -0.6 percentage points over five years and by +0.5 percentage points over ten years.
In the common comparison year 2024, United Arab Emirates ranked 35th of 158 economies by net lending or borrowing as a share of GDP.
United Arab Emirates Government Budget Balance by Year
Data source: World Bank, World Development Indicators — Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-), % of GDP (GC.NLD.TOTL.GD.ZS); Revenue, excluding grants, % of GDP (GC.REV.XGRT.GD.ZS); Expense, % of GDP (GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS); Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-), current local currency units (GC.NLD.TOTL.CN); Tax revenue, % of GDP (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS); Grants and other revenue, % of revenue (GC.REV.GOTR.ZS).
License: CC BY-4.0. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
About the Indicators
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-), % of GDP. The overall government fiscal balance — revenue minus expense minus net acquisition of nonfinancial assets — as a share of GDP.
Revenue, excluding grants, % of GDP. Government revenue from taxes and non-tax sources, excluding grants received from other governments or organizations, as a share of GDP.
Expense, % of GDP. Total government expense — all cash payments for operating activities and transfers — as a share of GDP.
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-), current local currency units. The overall government fiscal balance in the country’s own currency, at current prices.
Tax revenue, % of GDP. Compulsory transfers to government for public purposes, as a share of GDP.
Grants and other revenue, % of revenue. The share of total government revenue coming from grants and other miscellaneous, non-tax sources.