{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "
Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar within the last 60 years transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. Former Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, who overthrew his father in a bloodless coup in 1995, ushered in wide-sweeping political and media reforms, unprecedented economic investment, and a growing Qatari regional leadership role, in part through the creation of the pan-Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera and Qatar's mediation of some regional conflicts. In the 2000s, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and by 2007 had attained the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar did not experience domestic unrest or violence like that seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2011, due in part to its immense wealth and patronage network. In mid-2013, HAMAD peacefully abdicated, transferring power to his son, the current Amir TAMIM bin Hamad. TAMIM is popular with the Qatari public, for his role in shepherding the country through an economic embargo by some other regional countries, for his efforts to improve the country's healthcare and education systems, and for his expansion of the country's infrastructure in anticipation of Doha's hosting of the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
Following the outbreak of regional unrest in 2011, Doha prided itself on its support for many popular revolutions, particularly in Libya and Syria. This stance was to the detriment of Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which temporarily recalled their respective ambassadors from Doha in March 2014. TAMIM later oversaw a warming of Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in November 2014 following Kuwaiti mediation and signing of the Riyadh Agreement. This reconciliation, however, was short-lived. In June 2017, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE (the \"Quartet\") cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar in response to alleged violations of the agreement, among other complaints. They restored ties in January 2021 after signing a declaration at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia." } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "25 30 N, 51 15 E" }, "Map references": { "text": "Middle East" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "11,586 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "11,586 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "0 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "almost twice the size of Delaware; slightly smaller than Connecticut" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "87 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Saudi Arabia 87 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "563 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "territorial sea": { "text": "12 nm" }, "contiguous zone": { "text": "24 nm" }, "exclusive economic zone": { "text": "as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line" } }, "Climate": { "text": "arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers" }, "Terrain": { "text": "mostly flat and barren desert" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Tuwayyir al Hamir 103 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Persian Gulf 0 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "28 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "petroleum, fish, natural gas" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "5.6% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 1.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 4.3% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "0% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "94.4% (2018 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "130 sq km (2012)" }, "Major aquifers": { "text": "Arabian Aquifer System" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "most of the population is clustered in or around the capital of Doha on the eastern side of the peninsula" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "haze, dust storms, sandstorms common" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the peninsula occupies a strategic location in the central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits" }, "Map description": { "text": "
Qatar map showing major population centers and neighboring countries of this peninsular country that extends into the Persian Gulf.
" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "text": "2,508,182 (2022 est.)" }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Qatari(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Qatari" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "non-Qatari 88.4%, Qatari 11.6% (2015 est.)" }, "Languages": { "Languages": { "text": "Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language" }, "major-language sample(s)": { "text": "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.
" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020": { "text": "$245.66 billion (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { "text": "$255.01 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018": { "text": "$253.05 billion (2018 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2017": { "text": "1.6% (2017 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2016": { "text": "2.1% (2016 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2015": { "text": "3.7% (2015 est.)" } }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2020": { "text": "$85,300 (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2019": { "text": "$90,000 (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2018": { "text": "$91,000 (2018 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$191.29 billion (2018 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": { "text": "-0.6% (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018": { "text": "0.2% (2018 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": { "text": "0.3% (2017 est.)" } }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "AA- (2017)" }, "Moody's rating": { "text": "Aa3 (2017)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "AA- (2017)" } }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "0.2% (2017 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "50.3% (2017 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "49.5% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "24.6% (2017 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "17% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "43.1% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "1.5% (2017 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "51% (2017 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-37.3% (2017 est.)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "tomatoes, dates, camel milk, sheep milk, goat milk, pumpkins/gourds, mutton, poultry, milk, eggplants" }, "Industries": { "text": "liquefied natural gas, crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizer, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "3% (2017 est.)" }, "Labor force": { "text": "1.953 million (2017 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2017": { "text": "8.9% (2017 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2016": { "text": "11.1% (2016 est.)" } }, "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24": { "total": { "text": "0.4%" }, "male": { "text": "0.2%" }, "female": { "text": "1.5% (2018 est.)" } }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "NA" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2007": { "text": "41.1 (2007)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "1.3%" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "35.9% (2007)" } }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "44.1 billion (2017 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "53.82 billion (2017 est.)" } }, "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "-5.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2017": { "text": "53.8% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt 2016": { "text": "46.7% of GDP (2016 est.)" } }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "26.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Fiscal year": { "text": "1 April - 31 March" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2017": { "text": "$6.426 billion (2017 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2016": { "text": "-$8.27 billion (2016 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2020": { "text": "$70.93 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Exports 2019": { "text": "$92.05 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Exports 2018": { "text": "$102.56 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" } }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "Japan 17%, South Korea 16%, India 14%, China 13%, Singapore 7% (2019)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "natural gas, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, ethylene polymers, fertilizers (2019)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2020": { "text": "$59.06 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Imports 2019": { "text": "$66.77 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Imports 2018": { "text": "$65.81 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" } }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "United States 15%, France 13%, United Kingdom 9%, China 9%, Germany 5%, Italy 5% (2019)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "aircraft, gas turbines, cars, jewelry, iron piping (2019)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": { "text": "$15.01 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016": { "text": "$31.89 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 31 December 2017": { "text": "$167.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Debt - external 31 December 2016": { "text": "$157.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { "text": "Qatari rials (QAR) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2020": { "text": "3.641 (2020 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2019": { "text": "3.641 (2019 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2018": { "text": "3.641 (2018 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2014": { "text": "3.64 (2014 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2013": { "text": "3.64 (2013 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "100% (2020)" } }, "Electricity": { "installed generating capacity": { "text": "10.633 million kW (2020 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "44,116,984,000 kWh (2019 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "0 kWh (2019 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "0 kWh (2019 est.)" }, "transmission/distribution losses": { "text": "2.772 billion kWh (2019 est.)" } }, "Electricity generation sources": { "fossil fuels": { "text": "100% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "nuclear": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "solar": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "wind": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "hydroelectricity": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "tide and wave": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "geothermal": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "biomass and waste": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" } }, "Coal": { "production": { "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "0 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "0 metric tons (2019 est.)" } }, "Petroleum": { "total petroleum production": { "text": "1,815,100 bbl/day (2021 est.)" }, "refined petroleum consumption": { "text": "293,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)" }, "crude oil and lease condensate exports": { "text": "1,264,400 barrels/day (2018 est.)" }, "crude oil and lease condensate imports": { "text": "0 barrels/day (2018 est.)" }, "crude oil estimated reserves": { "text": "25.244 billion barrels (2021 est.)" } }, "Refined petroleum products - production": { "text": "273,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - exports": { "text": "485,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - imports": { "text": "12,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Natural gas": { "production": { "text": "167,460,996,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "37,701,809,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "126,749,621,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "0 cubic meters (2021 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "23,860,500,000,000 cubic meters (2021 est.)" } }, "Carbon dioxide emissions": { "total emissions": { "text": "111.922 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from coal and metallurgical coke": { "text": "0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from petroleum and other liquids": { "text": "33.44 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from consumed natural gas": { "text": "78.482 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" } }, "Energy consumption per capita": { "Total energy consumption per capita 2019": { "text": "723.582 million Btu/person (2019 est.)" } } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "454,701 (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "16 (2020 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "3,798,514 (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "132 (2020 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "Qatar had developed a mature telecom sector which has been able to absorb the additional data demands made on it during the pandemic; mobile services based on LTE are universally available, and this has helped the two operators Ooredoo Qatar and Vodafone Qatar to migrate to 5G; in combination with a strong fiber rollout, the country is aiming to provide gigabit services nationally; 5G services are largely based on 3.5GHz spectrum made available following an auction in early 2019. (2022)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line nearly 16 per 100 and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership nearly 132 telephones per 100 persons (2020)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 974; landing points for the Qatar-UAE Submarine Cable System, AAE-1, FOG, GBICS/East North Africa MENA and the FALCON submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Southeast Asia; 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; retains full ownership of two commercial satellites, Es'hailSat 1 and 2 (2019)" }, "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "TV and radio broadcast licensing and access to local media markets are state controlled; home of the satellite TV channel Al-Jazeera, which was originally owned and financed by the Qatari government but has evolved to independent corporate status; Al-Jazeera claims editorial independence in broadcasting; local radio transmissions include state, private, and international broadcasters on FM frequencies in Doha; in August 2013, Qatar's satellite company Es'hailSat launched its first communications satellite Es'hail 1 (manufactured in the US), which entered commercial service in December 2013 to provide improved television broadcasting capability and expand availability of voice and Internet; Es'hailSat launched its second commercial satellite in 2018 with aid of SpaceX (2019)" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".qa" }, "Internet users": { "total": { "text": "2,881,060 (2020 est.)" }, "percent of population": { "text": "100% (2020 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "296,126 (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "10 (2020 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "3 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "251" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "29,178,923 (2018)" }, "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "12,666,710,000 (2018) mt-km" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "A7" }, "Airports": { "total": { "text": "6 (2021)" } }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "total": { "text": "4" }, "over 3,047 m": { "text": "3" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "1 (2021)" } }, "Airports - with unpaved runways": { "total": { "text": "2" }, "914 to 1,523 m": { "text": "1" }, "under 914 m": { "text": "1 (2021)" } }, "Heliports": { "text": "1 (2021)" }, "Pipelines": { "text": "288 km condensate, 221 km condensate/gas, 2,383 km gas, 90 km liquid petroleum gas, 745 km oil, 103 km refined products (2013)" }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "7,039 km (2016)" } }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "129" }, "by type": { "text": "bulk carrier 9, container ship 4, general cargo 4, oil tanker 5, other 107 (2021)" } }, "Ports and terminals": { "major seaport(s)": { "text": "Doha, Musay'id, Ra's Laffan" }, "LNG terminal(s) (export)": { "text": "Ras Laffan" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Qatar Armed Forces: Qatari Amiri Land Force (QALF, includes Emiri Guard), Qatari Amiri Navy (QAN, includes Coast Guard), Qatari Amiri Air Force (QAAF); Internal Security Forces: Mobile Gendarmerie (2022)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2021": { "text": "4% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2020": { "text": "4% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "3.4% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $8.44 billion)" }, "Military Expenditures 2018": { "text": "3.3% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $8.23 billion)" }, "Military Expenditures 2017": { "text": "3.4% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $8.22 billion)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "information varies; approximately 15,000 active duty personnel (10,000 Land Force, including Emiri Guard; 3,000 Navy; 2,000 Air Force) (2022)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the Qatari military's inventory includes a broad mix of older and modern weapons systems, mostly from the US and Europe; in the 2010s, Qatar embarked on an extensive military expansion and modernization program with large air, ground, and naval equipment purchases; since 2010, France and the US have been the top suppliers (2022)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "conscription for men aged 18-35 introduced in 2013; compulsory service times range from 4-12 months, depending on educational and professional circumstances; since 2018, women have been permitted to serve as volunteers in the armed forces, including as uniformed officers and pilots (2022)", "note": "note: as of 2020, the military incorporated about 2,000 conscripts annually; a substantial portion of the military is comprised of foreigners" }, "Military - note": { "text": "Qatar hosts the regional headquarters for the US Central Command (CENTCOM; established 1983) and more than 8,000 US military forces at various military facilities, including the large Al Udeid Air Base; Qatar also hosts as many as 5,000 Turkish military forces at two bases established in 2014 and 2019none identified
" }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "stateless persons": { "text": "1,200 (mid-year 2021)" } } } }