Oman (Sultanate of Oman)

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Oman Sultanate of Oman
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	100th best
Capital	Muscat
Land Area	309 500km²₁
Location	Asia, The Middle East
Population	4.8m₂
Life Expectancy	76.97yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$34 402 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	OM, OMN, 512₅
Internet Domain	.om₆
Currency	Rial (OMR)₇
Telephone	+968₈

1. Overview

“The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered on Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, a newly established sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased, but it never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al-Said overthrew his father, and he has since ruled as sultan. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries. Inspired by the popular uprisings that swept the Middle East and North Africa beginning in January 2011, Omanis began staging marches and demonstrations to demand economic benefits, an end to corruption, and greater political rights. In response to protester demands, QABOOS in 2011 pledged to implement economic and political reforms, such as granting legislative and regulatory powers to the Majlis al-Shura and introducing unemployment benefits. In August 2012, the Sultan announced a royal directive mandating the speedy implementation of a national job creation plan for thousands of public and private sector jobs. As part of the government's efforts to decentralize authority and allow greater citizen participation in local governance, Oman successfully conducted its first municipal council elections in December 2012. Announced by the Sultan in 2011, the municipal councils will have the power to advise the Royal Court on the needs of local districts across Oman's 11 governorates.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Oman is the obvious choice for those seeking out the modern face of Arabia while still wanting to sense its ancient soul. The sultanate of Oman could be the Arabian Peninsula´s most rewarding destination. More accessible than Saudi Arabia, safer than Yemen and more traditional than the Gulf emirates, Oman nonetheless has plenty to rival these countries´ attractions and more. A stirring past that combines the great sweep of Bedouin history with a proud seafaring tradition has bequeathed to the country some extraordinary forts and other traditional architecture. And Mutrah Souq in Muscat is a fantasy of an Arabian bazaar come to life, with glittering gold and clouds of incense. But it´s Oman´s diverse natural beauty that is the main drawcard. Here you´ll find beautiful beaches, the jagged ramparts of mountain ranges and the perfectly sculpted sands of the fabled Empty Quarter.
Oman is an understated presence among the glitzy states of the Gulf. What it does boast, with its rich heritage and embracing society, is a strong sense of identity, a pride in an ancient frankincense-trading past and confidence in a highly educated future.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Oman National and Social Development

#economics #human_development

UN HDI (2016)₁₁
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₁₁
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
50	Romania	50
51	Kuwait	51
52	Belarus	52
53	Oman	52
54	Barbados	54
55	Uruguay	54
56	Kazakhstan	56
57	Bulgaria	56
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2011)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₂
1	Qatar	$129 916
2	Singapore	$78 162
3	Kuwait	$76 075
	...
28	Bahrain	$37 236
29	Iceland	$37 065
30	S. Korea	$34 541
31	Oman	$34 402
32	Italy	$33 573
33	New Zealand	$32 870
34	Spain	$32 779
35	Israel	$31 215
	World Avg	$17 240
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₃_,₁₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₃_,₁₄
1	Taiwan	30.2
2	Denmark	30.5
3	Norway	30.9
	...
97	Nicaragua	87.9
98	Saudi Arabia	88.6
99	Fiji	88.7
100	Oman	89.1
101	Bahamas	89.3
102	Paraguay	89.4
103	Lebanon	89.6
104	Ghana	90.1
	World Avg	86.4
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Oman's Demographics

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Oman's population is predicted to fall to 3 603 000 by 2030. Developed countries with falling populations face a pension's crises, whereby an incresingly ageing population must be cared for by fewer and fewer workers. Economic stability can be maintained by increasing foreign workers from younger countries. This country has a fertility rate of 2.17. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population (2018)₂
Pos.		Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
118	Congo, (Brazzaville)	5.2m
119	Costa Rica	5.0m
120	Palestine	4.9m
121	Oman	4.8m
122	Liberia	4.8m
123	Ireland	4.8m
124	New Zealand	4.7m
125	Central African Rep.	4.7m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy (2015)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₂
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
46	UAE	77.12
47	Estonia	77.01
48	Mexico	76.97
49	Oman	76.97
50	Maldives	76.96
51	Bahrain	76.72
52	Bosnia & Herzegovina	76.63
53	Argentina	76.46
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₅
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₅
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
24	Bangladesh	2.16
25	Belgium	1.83
26	Algeria	2.17
27	Oman	2.17
28	Argentina	2.18
29	El Salvador	2.18
30	Grenada	2.18
31	Costa Rica	1.81
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)₁₆
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100₁₆
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
49	Namibia	07.4
50	Botswana	07.7
51	UAE	07.7
52	Oman	07.8
53	Jordan	08.0
54	Laos	08.1
55	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	08.2
56	Belize	08.3
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants (2017)₁₇
Pos.		%₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
7	Bahrain	48.4%
8	Singapore	46.0%
9	Luxembourg	45.3%
10	Oman	44.7%
11	Hong Kong	39.1%
12	Saudi Arabia	37.0%
13	Jordan	33.3%
14	Nauru	32.7%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants (2010)₁₈
Pos.		%₁₈
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
185	Qatar	0.7%
186	Nigeria	0.6%
187	Maldives	0.6%
188	China	0.6%
189	Japan	0.6%
190	Oman	0.5%
191	Madagascar	0.4%
192	Montenegro	0.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #human_rights #oman #politics #tolerance

Oman is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Oman does better than average when it comes to opposing gender inequality₁₉. But unfortunately Oman gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₀, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₁, supporting press freedom₂₂, speed of uptake of HR treaties₂₃, LGBT equality₂₄ and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₅. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₆. Free speech is routinely denied, even on independent social media platforms where saying that that displeases the government can result in arrests and detainment₂₇. Migrant workers, especially, are often abused and are poorly protected₂₇.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Oman

5. Oman's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #Oman #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Health (2020)₂₈_,₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₈_,₂₉
1	Hong Kong	18.0
2	Singapore	41.5
3	Maldives	43.3
4	Japan	50.9
5	S. Korea	52.0
6	Sri Lanka	55.0
7	Oman	57.9
8	Bhutan	58.6
9	Brunei	59.3
10	Norway	62.0
11	China	62.4
12	Malaysia	64.1
13	Mauritius	64.5
	World Avg	92.3
q=187.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Hong Kong, Singapore and The Maldives₂₈. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea₂₈.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and Europe₂₈, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Polynesia₂₈.

Health:

Public health in Oman is very good. Oman comes in the best 20 in its immunizations take-up₃₀. It does better than average in terms of its alcohol consumption rate₃₁, its adolescent birth rate₁₉, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₂, its average life expectancy₁₂ and in its fertility rate₁₅. Oman does not succeed in everything, however. It does worse than average in terms of its smoking rate₃₃ (still low for Asia). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years.

Life Expectancy (2015)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₂
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
46	UAE	77.12
47	Estonia	77.01
48	Mexico	76.97
49	Oman	76.97
50	Maldives	76.96
51	Bahrain	76.72
52	Bosnia & Herzegovina	76.63
53	Argentina	76.46
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita₃₁
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
19	Morocco	0.6
20	Jordan	0.7
21	Senegal	0.7
22	Oman	0.8
23	Indonesia	0.8
24	Azerbaijan	0.8
25	Algeria	0.9
26	Malaysia	0.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₅
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₅
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
24	Bangladesh	2.16
25	Belgium	1.83
26	Algeria	2.17
27	Oman	2.17
28	Argentina	2.18
29	El Salvador	2.18
30	Grenada	2.18
31	Costa Rica	1.81
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Smoking Rates (2014)₃₃
Pos.		Higher is worse₃₃
182	Montenegro	4 125
181	Belarus	3 831
180	Lebanon	3 023
	...
96	Jamaica	593
95	Seychelles	590
94	Malaysia	584
93	Oman	577
92	Uzbekistan	573
91	Venezuela	565
90	Gabon	559
89	Norway	556
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
23	France	23
24	Italy	24
25	Qatar	25
26	Oman	26
27	Estonia	27
28	Austria	28
29	Greece	29
30	Nicaragua	30
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better %₃₄
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
152	Algeria	62.0
153	Greece	62.3
154	Czechia	62.3
155	Oman	62.6
156	Argentina	62.7
157	Uruguay	62.9
158	Chile	63.1
159	Venezuela	63.4
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Per 1000₁₉
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
21	Austria	7.1
22	China	7.3
23	Greece	7.5
24	Oman	8.1
25	Belgium	8.2
26	Spain	8.4
27	Bosnia & Herzegovina	8.6
28	Saudi Arabia	8.8
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)₃₀
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %₃₀
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
13	Finland	98.1
14	Saudi Arabia	98.0
15	Luxembourg	98.0
16	Oman	98.0
17	Antigua & Barbuda	98.0
18	Cuba	97.9
19	Belgium	97.8
20	Thailand	97.8
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Oman's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #it_security #modernity #research #science #technology #the_internet

Modernity and Learning (2020)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₅
1	Finland	8.0
2	Belgium	9.1
3	Denmark	10.0
	...
101	Uganda	75.3
102	Sri Lanka	76.0
103	Tonga	76.0
104	Oman	76.1
105	Maldives	77.0
106	Bhutan	77.5
107	Panama	77.7
108	Bolivia	79.9
109	Pakistan	80.2
	World Avg	69.0
q=180.

Modernity and Education:

Research and Development (2016)
Pos.		Higher is better % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₃₆
2	Israel	4.11₃₆
3	Japan	3.58₃₆
	...
93	Vietnam	0.19₃₇
94	Panama	0.18₃₇
95	Mauritius	0.18₃₈
96	Oman	0.17₃₉
97	Kazakhstan	0.17₃₉
98	Bolivia	0.16₄₀
99	Kyrgyzstan	0.16₃₇
100	Sri Lanka	0.16₄₁
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education (2018)₄₂
Pos.		Higher is better₄₂
1	Luxembourg	100.0%
2	Estonia	100.0%
3	Austria	100.0%
	...
80	Venezuela	69.2%
81	Qatar	67.5%
82	Mauritius	66.9%
83	Oman	66.4%
84	Jamaica	66.3%
85	Egypt	65.3%
86	Argentina	64.8%
87	Greece	64.8%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling (2018)₄₃
Pos.		Higher is better Years₄₃
1	Australia	22.1
2	Belgium	19.7
3	Finland	19.3
	...
62	Liechtenstein	14.7
63	Algeria	14.7
64	Cyprus	14.7
65	Oman	14.7
66	Thailand	14.7
67	Colombia	14.6
68	Slovakia	14.5
69	Fiji	14.4
	World Avg	13.2
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
120	Niger	120
121	El Salvador	121
122	Dominican Rep.	122
123	Oman	123
124	Chad	124
125	Brunei	125
126	Ivory Coast	126
127	Kuwait	127
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

IQ (2006)₄₄
Pos.		Higher is better₄₄
1	Hong Kong	108
2	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
87	Algeria	83
88	Libya	83
89	Tunisia	83
90	Oman	83
91	Syria	83
92	India	82
93	Bangladesh	82
94	Lebanon	82
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)₄₅
Pos.		Higher is better₄₅
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
53	Slovenia	72%
54	Cyprus	72%
55	Russia	71%
56	Oman	71%
57	New Caledonia	70%
58	Macedonia	69%
59	Argentina	69%
60	Trinidad & Tobago	69%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security (2013)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better₄₆
1	Ireland	0.11
2	Luxembourg	0.11
3	Belize	0.11
	...
72	China	1.59
73	Angola	1.61
74	Sri Lanka	1.67
75	Oman	1.72
76	Iraq	1.84
77	Bangladesh	1.87
78	Sudan	1.98
79	India	2.10
	World Avg	0.98
q=81.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)₄₇
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio₄₇
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
142	Ivory Coast	0.0
143	Mauritania	0.0
144	Iraq	0.0
145	Oman	0.0
146	Papua New Guinea	0.0
147	French Polynesia	0.0
148	Palestine	0.0
149	Lesotho	0.0
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#corruption #politics

Corruption (2012-2016)₄₈
Pos.		Higher is better Avg Score₄₈
1	Denmark	90.8
2	New Zealand	90.6
3	Finland	89.4
	...
59	Croatia	48.4
60	Saudi Arabia	47.4
61	Cuba	46.8
62	Oman	45.8
63	Ghana	45.8
64	Turkey	45.4
65	Lesotho	45.2
66	Romania	44.8
	World Avg	43.05
q=176.

Creativity and Culture (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
123	Egypt	123
124	Burkina Faso	124
125	Dominican Rep.	125
126	Oman	126
127	Mozambique	127
128	Niger	128
129	Sierra Leone	129
130	Bangladesh	130
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
72	Ukraine	72
73	Chile	73
74	Macedonia	74
75	Oman	75
76	Dominican Rep.	76
77	Slovenia	77
78	Guatemala	78
79	Tonga	79
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

#human_development #peace #politics

Global Peace Index (2012)₄₉
Pos.		Lower is better₄₉
1	Iceland	1.11
2	New Zealand	1.24
3	Denmark	1.24
	...
56	Burkina Faso	1.88
57	Djibouti	1.88
58	Mongolia	1.88
59	Oman	1.89
60	Malawi	1.89
61	Panama	1.90
62	Jordan	1.90
63	Indonesia	1.91
	World Avg	2.02
q=157.

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
8	Brunei	8
9	Moldova	9
10	Morocco	10
11	Oman	11
12	Tanzania	12
13	Cameroon	13
14	Singapore	14
15	Colombia	15
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
116	Dominica	116
117	Saudi Arabia	117
118	Lesotho	118
119	Oman	119
120	Egypt	120
121	Colombia	121
122	Honduras	122
123	Guinea	123
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

9. The Natural Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #over-exploitation #the_environment

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 (2015)₅₀
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₀
1	Iceland	205.6
2	Bahrain	144.4
3	Uruguay	131.3
	...
93	Malta	00.0
94	Saudi Arabia	00.0
95	Grenada	00.0
96	Oman	00.0
97	Bahamas	00.0
98	Barbados	00.0
99	St Kitts & Nevis	00.0
100	Norway	-00.2
	World Avg	02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance (2018)₅₁
Pos.		Higher is better₅₁
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
113	Botswana	51.7
114	Honduras	51.5
115	Sudan	51.5
116	Oman	51.3
117	Zambia	51.0
118	Grenada	50.9
119	Tanzania	50.8
120	China	50.7
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency (2014)₅₂
Pos.		Higher is better₅₂
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
	...
87	Bulgaria	06.54
88	Qatar	06.49
89	Finland	06.33
90	Oman	06.29
91	S. Korea	06.29
92	Estonia	06.13
93	Mongolia	06.06
94	Belarus	05.81
	World Avg	09.29
q=119.

Convention on Biological Diversity
Pos.		Earlier is better Signed
1	China	1993 Dec 29
2	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
3	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
110	Lesotho	1995 Apr 10
111	Panama	1995 Apr 17
112	Ukraine	1995 May 08
113	Oman	1995 May 09
114	Cambodia	1995 May 10
115	Central African Rep.	1995 Jun 13
116	Mali	1995 Jun 27
117	Cape Verde	1995 Jun 27
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#health #inequality #life_expectancy

Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)₅₃
Pos.		Higher is worse₅₃
184	Chad	40.90
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
	...
57	Russia	7.10
56	Sri Lanka	7.00
55	Bahamas	6.80
54	Oman	6.70
53	Saudi Arabia	6.40
52	Romania	6.30
51	USA	6.30
50	Chile	6.30
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion

Disbelief In God (2007)₅₄
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₄
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
130	Malawi	0
131	Chad	0
132	Nepal	0
133	Morocco	0
134	Mauritania	0
135	Mali	0
136	Senegal	0
137	Oman	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₅₅:

Christian	6.5%
Muslim	85.9%
Hindu	5.5%
Buddhist	0.8%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.2%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Ibadhi Muslim (official) 75%, other (includes Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, Hindu) 25%₅₆.

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