United Arab Emirates's net foreign assets (current LCU) was 1.8 trillion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 629.99% from 246.54 billion in 2015 (21.99% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 1.8 trillion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 516.71 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 246.54 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | 1.8 trillion | 2025 |
| Lowest | 1.52 billion | 1973 |
| Average since 2016 | 789.87 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 1.52 billion |
What the numbers say
In 2025, United Arab Emirates' net foreign assets (current LCU) rose 24.2% on 2024 (from 1.45 trillion to 1.8 trillion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +21.9% and a typical year strayed about 45.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 259.7% in 1974 and the biggest yearly fall was 91.1% in 2008. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 160.92 billion a year. A straight line explains 89% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, United Arab Emirates had the 30th highest value of the 106 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
Closest to United Arab Emirates in the 2025 ranking
- Serbia — 27th of 106: 3.01 trillion
- Bangladesh — 28th of 106: 2.38 trillion
- Benin — 29th of 106: 2.24 trillion
- South Africa — 31st of 106: 1.43 trillion
- Brazil — 32nd of 106: 1.26 trillion
- United States — 33rd of 106: 1.26 trillion
What this measures
Net foreign assets are the sum of foreign assets held by monetary authorities and deposit money banks, less their foreign liabilities. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.
All 53 values
| Year | Net foreign assets (current LCU) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,799,680,613,329 |
| 2024 | 1,448,486,262,459 |
| 2023 | 1,148,839,714,309 |
| 2022 | 862,995,834,469 |
| 2021 | 622,982,499,869 |
| 2020 | 516,712,996,866 |
| 2019 | 487,444,738,023 |
| 2018 | 420,225,187,421 |
| 2017 | 330,459,455,130 |
| 2016 | 260,870,698,320 |
Net foreign assets (current LCU) in nearby economies
- Afghanistan — 871.66 billion (2020)
- Algeria — 9.11 trillion (2025)
- Bahrain — 1.34 billion (2015)
- Djibouti — 281.4 billion (2025)
- Egypt, Arab Rep. — 1.11 trillion (2025)
- Iran, Islamic Rep. — 2,473.74 trillion (2016)
- Iraq — 167.41 trillion (2024)
- Israel — 883.57 billion (2025)
- Jordan — 15.24 billion (2025)
- Kuwait — 28.58 billion (2025)
- Lebanon
More financial sector data for United Arab Emirates
- Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) — US$3.67 (2025)
- DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$) — US$3.67 (2024)
- GDP deflator (base year varies by country) — 114.18 (2024)
- Inflation, GDP deflator (annual % growth) — 1.63% (2024)
- Net domestic credit (current LCU) — 1.8 trillion (2025)
- Broad money (current LCU) — 2.75 trillion (2025)
- Domestic credit to private sector by banks (% of GDP) — 67.97% (2024)
- Claims on central government (annual growth as % of broad money) — 0.06% (2025)
- Monetary sector credit to private sector (% of GDP)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is United Arab Emirates's net foreign assets (current LCU)?
- 1.8 trillion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1973?
- It is up 117,987% from 1.52 billion in 1973 (14.57% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1.8 trillion in 2025 and the lowest 1.52 billion in 1973.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank?
- 30th highest of 106 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in net foreign assets (current LCU) unusual for United Arab Emirates?
- In 2025, United Arab Emirates' net foreign assets (current LCU) rose 24.2% on 2024 (from 1.45 trillion to 1.8 trillion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +21.9% and a typical year strayed about 45.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FM.AST.NFRG.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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