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When hearing the name Qatar, most people may immediately think of the wealth of oil and natural gas, the skyscrapers in Doha, world-class airlines, or the hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This small country located in the Persian Gulf region is often in the world’s spotlight because of its very high level of economic prosperity. However, behind this image, Qatar also has various demographic, social and health characteristics that are quite unique compared to other countries.
With an area of around 11,500 km², Qatar is one of the smallest countries in the world. Despite this, its per capita income is among the highest globally thanks to its abundant natural gas and oil reserves. This rapid economic progress has also influenced population structure, lifestyle and public health challenges.
Interestingly, there are several facts about Qatar that many people may not know. Starting from the number of men far greater than women to the high obesity rate which is a concern for the local government.
Here are 5 interesting facts about the State of Qatar.
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1. Qatar Has a Very High Male to Female Ratio
One of Qatar’s most striking demographic characteristics is that the male population far exceeds the female population. In fact, Qatar is one of the countries with the highest sex ratio in the world.
This phenomenon is not caused by the high birth rate of male babies, but because of the composition of the migrant workforce. Most foreign workers who come to Qatar work in the construction, energy, manufacturing, transportation and infrastructure projects sectors. The majority of these workers are men of productive age who come from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines and various other countries.
As a result, the proportion of male population becomes very dominant compared to female. In the working age group, this inequality is even more visible than in the child and elderly age groups.
This situation is a consequence of the enormous need for economic development. Since the 2000s, Qatar has carried out infrastructure development on a massive scale, including the construction of stadiums, highways, ports, airports and residential areas ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In other words, Qatar’s high sex ratio reflects the dynamics of international migration more than the biological condition of its population.
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2. Foreign residents actually dominate Qatar’s population
The next unique thing is that native Qatari citizens are actually a minority group in their own country. Most of Qatar’s residents are migrant workers and some of their family members. They come to meet labor needs in various economic sectors which are growing very rapidly.
This condition makes Qatari society very multicultural. Arabic is the official language of the country, but English is widely used in everyday life because it is the language of communication between citizens from various countries.
In shopping centers and business districts, one can even hear conversations in Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Tagalog, Malayalam and Nepali.
This cultural diversity makes Qatar one of the countries with the highest international population composition in the world.
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3. Qatar is a country with a very high obesity rate
Behind its level of economic prosperity, Qatar also faces major challenges in the field of public health, namely the high prevalence of obesity. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the prevalence of obesity in adults in Qatar is among the highest in the Middle East region. In fact, the latest WHO data shows that the prevalence of adult obesity has reached more than 40% based on estimates that have been standardized according to age.
This problem does not only occur in adults. The prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents is also relatively high, making it a serious concern for the government.
Why could this happen? There are several factors at play.
First, people’s high income levels make access to high-calorie foods very easy.
Second, Qatar’s very hot weather, especially during summer when temperatures can exceed 45 degrees Celsius, makes outdoor physical activity less comfortable.
Third, the increasing use of private vehicles means that people walk relatively less compared to countries that have pedestrian-based transportation systems.
Apart from that, consumption patterns of fast food and drinks high in sugar also contribute to increasing obesity rates.
Therefore, the Qatari government continues to develop various healthy living promotion programs, routine health checks, and campaigns to increase physical activity to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases.
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4. One of the Richest Countries in the World
Qatar often tops the list of countries with the highest per capita income in the world. The main source of this wealth comes from natural gas reserves, in particular North Fieldwhich is one of the largest natural gas fields in the world. Apart from natural gas, the petroleum sector also makes a major contribution to the national economy.
State revenues are then used to build modern infrastructure, education, health services, public transportation, as well as international investment through sovereign wealth fund.
This prosperity is clearly visible in the development of the city of Doha which is filled with modern skyscrapers, a high-quality road network, a sophisticated metro system, and continuously developing public facilities.
However, the Qatari government is also trying to diversify the economy so that it is not completely dependent on the energy sector. Therefore, investment in the tourism, education, sports, technology and financial services sectors continues to be increased.
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5. Qatar is very active in developing modern infrastructure
Qatar’s development transformation in the last two decades has been one of the fastest in the world. Various large-scale projects were built to support economic growth and improve the quality of life of the community. One example is the Doha Metro system which is the backbone of modern public transportation.
In addition, the construction of high-tech stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup has also attracted global attention because it combines energy efficiency, modern air conditioning systems and innovative architectural designs.
Hamad International Airport has also developed into one of the most important international aviation hubs in the Middle East region.
Such large investments in infrastructure are not only aimed at hosting international sporting events, but are also part of them Qatar National Vision 2030which aims to build a sustainable economy and improve the quality of life of the community.
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CLOSURE
Qatar is an interesting example of how economic progress can bring major changes to population structure, city development, and public health challenges.
The dominance of the male population is actually a consequence of the high number of migrant workers who come to support economic development. Meanwhile, the high obesity rate is a reminder that economic prosperity can also be accompanied by lifestyle changes that affect people’s health.
On the other hand, Qatar continues to strive to balance economic growth with human resource development through investments in education, health services, modern transportation and various public health programs. With these characteristics, Qatar is an interesting country to study, both from a demographic, economic and public health perspective.
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SOURCE
Ministry of Public Health Qatar. (2025). Health Risk Prevalence Data (STEPwise Survey 2023). https://www.data.gov.qa/
National Planning Council Qatar. (2026). Total population by age groups and sex in census (2010–2020). https://www.data.gov.qa/
World Bank. (2024). Prevalence of obesity (% of population ages 18+). World Development Indicators. https://genderdata.worldbank.org/
World Health Organization. (2024). Global Health Observatory: Age-standardized prevalence of obesity among adults. https://data.who.int/
World Health Organization. (2024). World health statistics 2024: Monitoring health for the SDGs. Geneva: World Health Organization.
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