UAE scores high on Social Progress Index with top marks in housing, healthcare
KHALED AL KHAWALDEH (ABU DHABI) The UAE has once again demonstrated its commitment to social development as it secured impressive scores on the recently released Social Progress Index (SPI) Global Report 2025. It stood out in several categories including housing and healthcare. With an overall score of 74.04 out of 100, the UAE ranked second in the Arab world, and 49th out of 170 nations across the globe. This marks a significant improvement for the country, which has climbed seven places since 2011. The annual index measures how well countries meet the social and environmental needs of their people, beyond just economic factors like GDP. It assesses nations across three key areas: basic human needs, foundations of wellbeing, and opportunity, covering indicators such as health, education, safety, rights, and environmental quality.The UAE achieved top-tier performances in housing and healthcare, scoring 96.35 in housing, securing some of the highest global marks in this category. It boasted 100% access to electricity, universal use of clean fuels and technology for cooking, and zero household air pollution, factors SPI said were critical indicators of quality living standards. The UAE also ranked an impressive 7th globally for the affordability of housing, underscoring its efforts to ensure residents can access safe and affordable accommodations.Moreover, the country scored highly in water and sanitation, achieving an overall score of 96.54 and placing 12th globally. The country was found to deliver 100% of its population with basic water service and excelled in providing basic sanitation services. Healthcare was another bright spot where the UAE attained a score of 73.32, with notable strengths in areas such as equal access to essential health services and low prevalence of non-communicable diseases. The country's life expectancy at 65 and its ranking of 14th for equal access to quality healthcare signalled a well-developed healthcare system that serves both nationals and residents effectively.Beyond housing and healthcare, the UAE performed well in other pillars of social progress. It ranked 14th globally in basic education, with high primary school enrolment and high scores in gender parity in secondary attainment. Its information and communications infrastructure were graded as robust, with full marks for internet users and mobile telephone users, while access to online governance services ranked 37th worldwide.
On the safety front, the UAE recorded a score of 78.22, with relatively low levels of interpersonal violence and good perceptions of personal safety, indicated by its 7th rank globally for feelings of safety when walking alone.
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