Location:
Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Area:
total:11,586 sq km
land:11,586 sq km
water:0 sq km
country comparison to the world:165
Area - comparative:
almost twice the size of Delaware; slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
total:87 km
border countries (1):Saudi Arabia 87 km
Coastline:
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:12nm
exclusive economic zone:as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line
contiguous zone:24nm
Climate:
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain:
mostly flat and barren desert
Elevation:
mean elevation:28 m
elevation extremes:0 mlowest point: Persian Gulf
103 highest point: Tuwayyir al Hamir
Natural resources:
petroleum, fish, natural gas
Land use:
agricultural land:5.6%(2011 est.)
arable land:1.1%(2011 est.)/permanent crops:0.2%(2011 est.)/permanent pasture:4.3%(2011 est.)
forest:0%(2011 est.)
other:94.4%(2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
Population distribution:
most of the population is clustered in or around the capital of Doha on the eastern side of the peninsula
Natural hazards:
haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
Environment - current issues:
air, land, and water pollution are significant environmental issues; limited natural freshwater resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities; other issues include conservation of oil supplies and preservation of the natural wildlife heritage
Environment - international agreements:
party to:Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified:none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the peninsula occupies a strategic location in the central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits
Population:
2,363,569(July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:143
Nationality:
noun:Qatari(s)
adjective:Qatari
Ethnic groups:
non-Qatari 88.4%, Qatari 11.6%(2015 est.)
Languages:
Arabic (official), Englishcommonly used as a second language
Religions:
Muslim 67.7%, Christian 13.8%, Hindu 13.8%, Buddhist 3.1%, folk religion(2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:12.7%(male 151,888 /female 148,186)
15-24 years:12.12%(male 205,242 /female 81,297)
25-54 years:70.67%(male 1,391,192 /female 279,256)
55-64 years:3.44%(male 62,683 /female 18,731)
65 years and over:1.06%(male 16,295 /female 8,799)(2018 est.)
population pyramid: Middle East
:: QatarPrint This is the population pyramid for Qatar. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.
For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.
Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio:17.5(2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio:16.3(2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio:1.3(2015 est.)
potential support ratio:78.1(2015 est.)
Median age:
Population growth rate:
1.95%(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:50
Birth rate:
9.5 births/1,000 population(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:200
Death rate:
1.6 deaths/1,000 population(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:226
Net migration rate:
14.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:3
Population distribution:
most of the population is clustered in or around the capital of Doha on the eastern side of the peninsula
Urbanization:
urban population:99.1% of total population(2018)
rate of urbanization:2.41% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
633,000 DOHA (capital)(2018)
Sex ratio:
at birth:1.02 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
0-14 years:1.03 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
15-24 years:2.64 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
25-54 years:4.91 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
55-64 years:3.38 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
65 years and over:1.71 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
total population:3.41 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
13 deaths/100,000 live births(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:140
Infant mortality rate:
total:6 deaths/1,000 live births(2018 est.)
male:6.3 deaths/1,000 live births(2018 est.)
female:5.7 deaths/1,000 live births(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:166
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:79 years(2018 est.)
male:76.9 years(2018 est.)
female:81.2 years(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:53
Total fertility rate:
1.89 children born/woman(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:136
Contraceptive prevalence rate:
Health expenditures:
2.2% of GDP(2014)
country comparison to the world:189
Physicians density:
1.96 physicians/1,000 population(2014)
Hospital bed density:
1.2 beds/1,000 population(2014)
Drinking water source:
improved:urban:100% of population
rural:100% of population
total:100% of population
unimproved:urban:0% of population
rural:0% of population
total:0% of population(2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:urban:98% of population(2015 est.)
rural:98% of population(2015 est.)
total:98% of population(2015 est.)
unimproved:urban:2% of population(2015 est.)
rural:2% of population(2015 est.)
total:2% of population(2015 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1%(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:118
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
35.1%(2016)
country comparison to the world:15
Education expenditures:
3.6% of GDP(2014)
country comparison to the world:125
Literacy:
definition:age 15 and over can read and write(2015 est.)
total population:97.3%(2015 est.)
male:97.4%(2015 est.)
female:96.8%(2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total:13 years(2011)
male:13 years(2011)
female:14 years(2011)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total:0.5%(2016 est.)
male:0.2%(2016 est.)
female:2.1%(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:174
Country name:
conventional long form:State of Qatar
conventional short form:Qatar
local long form:Dawlat Qatar
local short form:Qatar
etymology:the origin of the name is uncertain, but it dates back at least 2,000 years since a term \"Catharrei\" was used to describe the inhabitants of the peninsula by Pliny the Elder (1st century A.D.), and a \"Catara\" peninsula is depicted on a map by Ptolemy (2nd century A.D.)
note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation is gattar or cottar
Government type:
Capital:
name:Doha
geographic coordinates:25 17 N, 51 32 E
time difference:UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
8 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Khawr wa adh Dhakhirah, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Ash Shamal, Ash Shihaniyah, Az Za'ayin, Umm Salal
Independence:
3 September 1971 (from the UK)
National holiday:
National Day, 18 December (1878), anniversary of Al Thani family accession to the throne; Independence Day, 3 September (1971)
Constitution:
history:previous 1972 (provisional); latest drafted 2 July 2002, approved by referendum 29 April 2003, endorsed 8 June 2004, effective 9 June 2005(2016)
amendments:proposed by the emir or by one-third of Advisory Council members; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Advisory Council members and approval and promulgation by the emir; articles pertaining to the rule of state and its inheritance, functions of the emir, and citizen rights and liberties cannot be amended(2016)
Legal system:
mixed legal system of civil law and Islamic law (in family and personal matters)
International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship:
citizenship by birth:no
citizenship by descent only:the father must be a citizen of Qatar
dual citizenship recognized:no
residency requirement for naturalization:20 years; 15 years if an Arab national
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Judicial branch:
highest courts:Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (consists of the court president and several judges); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 members)
judge selection and term of office:Supreme Court judges nominated by the Supreme Judiciary Council, a 9-member independent body consisting of judiciary heads appointed by the Amir; judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms; Supreme Constitutional Court members nominated by the Supreme Judiciary Council and appointed by the monarch; term of appointment NA
subordinate courts:Courts of Appeal; Administrative Court; courts of first instance; sharia courts; Courts of Justice; Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Center, established in 2009, provides dispute resolution services for institutions and bodies in Qatar, as well as internationally
Executive branch:
chief of state:Amir TAMIM bin Hamad Al Thani (since 25 June 2013)
head of government:Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Nasir bin Khalifa Al Thani (since 26 June 2013); Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs Khalid bin Mohamed al-Thani (since 14 November 2017); Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani (since 14 November 2017)
cabinet:Council of Ministers appointed by the amir
elections/appointments:the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the amir
Legislative branch:
description:unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (45 seats; 30 members directly elected by popular vote for 4-year re-electable terms and 15 appointed by the monarch to serve until resignation or until relieved
elections:last on 17 June 2016 (term extended to 2019)
election results:NA; composition - men 41, women 4, percent of women 8.9%
Political parties and leaders:
political parties are banned
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA (observer), EITI (implementing country), FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador MISHAL bin Hamad bin Muhammad Al Thani (since 24 April 2017)
chancery:2555 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone:[1] (202) 274-1600
FAX:[1] (202) 237-0682
consulate(s) general:Houston, Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ryan GLIHA (since 30 November 2017)
embassy:22 February Street, Al Luqta District, Doha
mailing address:P. O. Box 2399, Doha
telephone:[974] 4496-6000
FAX:[974] 4488-4298
Flag description:
maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side; maroon represents the blood shed in Qatari wars, white stands for peace; the nine-pointed serrated edge signifies Qatar as the ninth member of the \"reconciled emirates\" in the wake of the Qatari-British treaty of 1916
note: the other eight emirates are the seven that compose the UAE and Bahrain; according to some sources, the dominant color was formerly red, but this darkened to maroon upon exposure to the sun and the new shade was eventually adopted
National symbol(s):
a maroon field surmounted by a white serrated band with nine white points; national colors: maroon, white
National anthem:
name:\"Al-Salam Al-Amiri\" (The Amiri Salute)
lyrics/music:Sheikh MUBARAK bin Saif al-Thani/Abdul Aziz Nasser OBAIDAN
note: adopted 1996; anthem first performed that year at a meeting of the Gulf Cooperative Council hosted by Qatar
Economy - overview:
Qatar’s oil and natural gas resources are the country’s main economic engine and government revenue source, driving Qatar’s high economic growth and per capita income levels, robust state spending on public entitlements, and booming construction spending, particularly as Qatar prepares to host the World Cup in 2022. Although the government has maintained high capital spending levels for ongoing infrastructure projects, low oil and natural gas prices in recent years have led the Qatari Government to tighten some spending to help stem its budget deficit.
Qatar’s reliance on oil and natural gas is likely to persist for the foreseeable future. Proved natural gas reserves exceed 25 trillion cubic meters - 13% of the world total and, among countries, third largest in the world. Proved oil reserves exceed 25 billion barrels, allowing production to continue at current levels for about 56 years. Despite the dominance of oil and natural gas, Qatar has made significant gains in strengthening non-oil sectors, such as manufacturing, construction, and financial services, leading non-oil GDP to steadily rise in recent years to just over half the total.
Following trade restriction imposed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt in 2017, Qatar established new trade routes with other countries to maintain access to imports.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$339.5 billion(2017 est.)
$334.2 billion(2016 est.)
$327.3 billion(2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world:52
GDP (official exchange rate):
$166.9 billion(2017 est.)(2017 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.6%(2017 est.)
2.1%(2016 est.)
3.7%(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:169
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$124,100(2017 est.)
$127,700(2016 est.)
$134,200(2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world:2
Gross national saving:
50.2% of GDP(2017 est.)
42.4% of GDP(2016 est.)
47.4% of GDP(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:1
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption:24.6%(2017 est.)
government consumption:17%(2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital:43.1%(2017 est.)
investment in inventories:1.5%(2017 est.)
exports of goods and services:51%(2017 est.)
imports of goods and services:-37.3%(2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:0.2%(2017 est.)
industry:50.3%(2017 est.)
services:49.5%(2017 est.)
Agriculture - products:
fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish
Industries:
liquefied natural gas, crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizer, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair
Industrial production growth rate:
3%(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:105
Labor force:
1.953 million(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:126
Unemployment rate:
8.9%(2017 est.)
11.1%(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:128
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:35.9%(2007)
highest 10%:35.9%(2007)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
41.1(2007)
country comparison to the world:58
Budget:
revenues:44.1 billion(2017 est.)
expenditures:53.82 billion(2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
26.4% (of GDP)(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:112
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-5.8% (of GDP)(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:179
Public debt:
53.8% of GDP(2017 est.)
46.7% of GDP(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:88
Fiscal year:
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.4%(2017 est.)
2.7%(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:25
Central bank discount rate:
5%(16 March 2017)
4.5%(31 December 2012)
country comparison to the world:82
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
4.95%(31 December 2017 est.)
4.51%(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:152
Stock of narrow money:
$34.71 billion(31 December 2017 est.)
$36.14 billion(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:59
Stock of broad money:
$34.71 billion(31 December 2017 est.)
$36.14 billion(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:59
Stock of domestic credit:
$246.7 billion(31 December 2017 est.)
$224.2 billion(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:42
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$142.6 billion(31 December 2015 est.)
$185.9 billion(31 December 2014 est.)
$152.6 billion(31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world:38
Current account balance:
$6.426 billion(2017 est.)
-$8.27 billion(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:27
Exports:
$67.5 billion(2017 est.)
$57.25 billion(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:44
Exports - partners:
Japan 17.3%, South Korea 16%, India 12.6%, China 11.2%, Singapore 8.2%, UAE 6.4%(2017)
Exports - commodities:
liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel
Imports:
$30.77 billion(2017 est.)
$31.93 billion(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:68
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals
Imports - partners:
China 10.9%, US 8.9%, UAE 8.5%, Germany 8.1%, UK 5.5%, India 5.4%, Japan 5.3%, Italy 4.3%(2017)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$15.01 billion(31 December 2017 est.)
$31.89 billion(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:68
Debt - external:
$167.8 billion(31 December 2017 est.)
$157.9 billion(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:39
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$36.29 billion(31 December 2017 est.)
$35.31 billion(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:66
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$59.33 billion(31 December 2017 est.)
$57.63 billion(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:39
Exchange rates:
Qatari rials (QAR) per US dollar -
3.64(2017 est.)
3.64(2016 est.)
3.64(2015 est.)
3.64(2014 est.)
3.64(2013 est.)
Electricity access:
population without electricity:45,165(2012)
electrification - total population:98%(2012)
electrification - urban areas:98%(2012)
electrification - rural areas:93%(2012)
Electricity - production:
39.78 billion kWh(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:58
Electricity - consumption:
37.24 billion kWh(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:58
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:186
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:188
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
8.796 million kW(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:66
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
100% of total installed capacity(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:15
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:169
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
0% of total installed capacity(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:193
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
1% of total installed capacity(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:163
Crude oil - production:
1.5 million bbl/day(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:17
Crude oil - exports:
1.15 million bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:13
Crude oil - imports:
0 bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:183
Crude oil - proved reserves:
25.24 billion bbl(1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:13
Refined petroleum products - production:
273,800 bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:46
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
277,000 bbl/day(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:45
Refined petroleum products - exports:
485,000 bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:18
Refined petroleum products - imports:
12,300 bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:143
Natural gas - production:
166.4 billion cu m(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:4
Natural gas - consumption:
39.9 billion cu m(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:26
Natural gas - exports:
126.5 billion cu m(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:2
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:176
Natural gas - proved reserves:
24.07 trillion cu m(1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:3
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
114.2 million Mt(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:40
Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions:440,909(2017 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:19(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:100
Telephones - mobile cellular:
total subscriptions:3,913,809(2017 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:169(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:128
Telephone system:
general assessment:modern system centered in Doha(2016)
domestic:combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 175 telephones per 100 persons(2016)
international:country code - 974; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and the US; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and the UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat(2016)
Broadcast media:
Internet country code:
Internet users:
total:2,129,360(July 2016 est.)
percent of population:94.3%(July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:110
Broadband - fixed subscriptions:
total:256,094(2017 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:11(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:101
National air transport system:
number of registered air carriers:2(2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers:199(2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:25,263,224(2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:7,563,307,390mt-km(2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
Airports:
6(2013)
country comparison to the world:174
Airports - with paved runways:
total:4(2017)
over 3,047 m:3(2017)
1,524 to 2,437 m:1(2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total:2(2013)
914 to 1,523 m:1(2013)
under 914 m:1(2013)
Heliports:
Pipelines:
288 km condensate, 221 km condensate/gas, 2383 km gas, 90 km liquid petroleum gas, 745 km oil, 103 km refined products(2013)
Roadways:
total:9,830 km(2010)
country comparison to the world:136
Merchant marine:
total:143(2017)
by type:bulk carrier 8, container ship 6, general cargo 5, oil tanker 6, other 118(2017)
country comparison to the world:75
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s):Doha, Musay'id, Ra's Laffan
LNG terminal(s) (export):Ras Laffan