SELECT EDITION
CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(7 fields)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 348,926 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2017 est.)
Broadcast media
1 state-run TV broadcaster; TV stations transmitting from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, and Yemen available via satellite TV; state-run radio operates multiple stations; first private radio station began operating in 2007 and several additional stations now operating (2019)
Internet country code
.om
Internet users
total: 2,342,483 | percent of population: 69.8% (July 2016 est.)
Telephone system
general assessment: modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; coaxial cable; domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations; both 3G and 4G LTE networks; exploring 5G options; competition among mobile network operators (MNO) (2018) | domestic: fixed-line 11 per 100 and mobile-cellular 151 per 100, subscribership both increasing with fixed-line phone service gradually being introduced to remote villages using wireless local loop systems (2018) | international: country code - 968; landing points for GSA, AAE-1, SeaMeWe-5, Tata TGN-Gulf, FALCON, GBICS/MENA, MENA/Guld Bridge International, TW1, BBG, EIG, OMRAN/EPEG, and POI submarine cables providing connectivity to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 497,716 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2017 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 6,943,910 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 151 (2017 est.)
◆ ECONOMY(40 fields)
Agriculture - products
dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish
Budget
revenues: 22.14 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 31.92 billion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
-13.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Central bank discount rate
2% (31 December 2010) | 0.05% (31 December 2009)
Commercial bank prime lending rate
5.2% (31 December 2017 est.) | 5.08% (31 December 2016 est.)
Current account balance
-$10.76 billion (2017 est.) | -$12.32 billion (2016 est.)
Debt - external
$46.27 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $27.05 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Economy - overview
Oman is heavily dependent on oil and gas resources, which can generate between and 68% and 85% of government revenue, depending on fluctuations in commodity prices. In 2016, low global oil prices drove Oman’s budget deficit to $13.8 billion, or approximately 20% of GDP, but the budget deficit is estimated to have reduced to 12% of GDP in 2017 as Oman reduced government subsidies. As of January 2018, Oman has sufficient foreign assets to support its currency’s fixed exchange rates. It is issuing debt to cover its deficit. Oman is using enhanced oil recovery techniques to boost production, but it has simultaneously pursued a development plan that focuses on diversification, industrialization, and privatization, with the objective of reducing the oil sector's contribution to GDP. The key components of the government's diversification strategy are tourism, shipping and logistics, mining, manufacturing, and aquaculture. Muscat also has notably focused on creating more Omani jobs to employ the rising number of nationals entering the workforce. However, high social welfare benefits - that had increased in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring - have made it impossible for the government to balance its budget in light of current oil prices. In response, Omani officials imposed austerity measures on its gasoline and diesel subsidies in 2016. These spending cuts have had only a moderate effect on the government’s budget, which is projected to again face a deficit of $7.8 billion in 2018.
Exchange rates
Omani rials (OMR) per US dollar - | 0.3845 (2017 est.) | 0.3845 (2016 est.) | 0.3845 (2015 est.) | 0.3845 (2014 est.) | 0.3845 (2013 est.)
Exports
$103.3 billion (2017 est.) | $27.54 billion (2016 est.)
Exports - commodities
petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles
Exports - partners
China 43.7%, UAE 11%, South Korea 7.9%, Saudi Arabia 4.2% (2017)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate)
$70.78 billion (2017 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$190.1 billion (2017 est.) | $191.9 billion (2016 est.) | $182.8 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 36.8% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 26.2% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 27.8% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: 3% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 51.5% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -46.6% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 1.8% (2017 est.) | industry: 46.4% (2017 est.) | services: 51.8% (2017 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$46,000 (2017 est.) | $47,900 (2016 est.) | $48,400 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP - real growth rate
-0.9% (2017 est.) | 5% (2016 est.) | 4.7% (2015 est.)
Gross national saving
16.1% of GDP (2017 est.) | 10.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | 14.3% of GDP (2015 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA | highest 10%: NA
Imports
$24.12 billion (2017 est.) | $21.29 billion (2016 est.)
Imports - commodities
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants
Imports - partners
UAE 35.5%, US 27.8%, Brazil 4% (2017)
Industrial production growth rate
-3% (2017 est.)
Industries
crude oil production and refining, natural and liquefied natural gas production; construction, cement, copper, steel, chemicals, optic fiber
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.6% (2017 est.) | 1.1% (2016 est.)
Labor force
2.255 million (2016 est.) | note: about 60% of the labor force is non-national
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 4.7% NA | industry: 49.6% NA | services: 45% NA (2016 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares
$41.12 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $37.83 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $36.77 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA
Public debt
46.9% of GDP (2017 est.) | 32.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | note: excludes indebtedness of state-owned enterprises
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$16.09 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $20.26 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Stock of broad money
$12.85 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $12.95 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
NA
Stock of domestic credit
$48.47 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $46.47 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Stock of narrow money
$12.85 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $12.95 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
31.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment rate
NA
◆ ENERGY(24 fields)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
68.94 million Mt (2017 est.)
Crude oil - exports
844,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - imports
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - production
979,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves
5.373 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Electricity - consumption
28.92 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels
100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity
8.167 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - production
32.16 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 99% (2016) | electrification - urban areas: 100% (2016) | electrification - rural areas: 93% (2016)
Natural gas - consumption
21.94 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports
11.16 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports
1.982 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - production
31.23 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
651.3 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption
188,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports
33,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports
6,041 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production
229,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(19 fields)
Area
total: 309,500 sq km | land: 309,500 sq km | water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
twice the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Kansas | Area comparison map: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Middle East :: Oman Print Image Description twice the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Kansas
Climate
dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Coastline
2,092 km
Elevation
mean elevation: 310 m | lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m | highest point: Jabal Shams 3,004 m
Environment - current issues
limited natural freshwater resources; high levels of soil and water salinity in the coastal plains; beach pollution from oil spills; industrial effluents seeping into the water tables and aquifers; desertificaiton due to high winds driving desert sand into arable lands
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
21 00 N, 57 00 E
Geography - note
consists of Oman proper and two northern exclaves, Musandam and Al Madhah; the former is a peninsula that occupies a strategic location adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
Irrigated land
590 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
total: 1,561 km | border countries (3): Saudi Arabia 658 km, UAE 609 km, Yemen 294 km
Land use
agricultural land: 4.7% (2011 est.) | arable land: 0.1% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0.1% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 4.5% (2011 est.) | forest: 0% (2011 est.) | other: 95.3% (2011 est.)
Location
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and the UAE
Map references
Middle East
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm
Natural hazards
summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts
Natural resources
petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
Population distribution
the vast majority of the population is located in and around the Al Hagar Mountains in the north of the country; another smaller cluster is found around the city of Salalah in the far south; most of the country remains sparsely poplulated
Terrain
central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
◆ GOVERNMENT(21 fields)
Administrative divisions
11 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafaza); Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Buraymi, Al Wusta, Az Zahirah, Janub al Batinah (Al Batinah South), Janub ash Sharqiyah (Ash Sharqiyah South), Masqat (Muscat), Musandam, Shamal al Batinah (Al Batinah North), Shamal ash Sharqiyah (Ash Sharqiyah North), Zufar (Dhofar)
Capital
name: Muscat | geographic coordinates: 23 37 N, 58 35 E | time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | etymology: the name, whose meaning is uncertain, traces back almost two millennia; two 2nd century A.D. scholars, the geographer Ptolemy and the historian Arrian, both mention an Arabian Sea coastal town of Moscha, which most likely referred to Muscat
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Oman | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: unknown
Constitution
history: promulgated by royal decree 6 November 1996 (the Basic Law of the Sultanate of Oman serves as the constitution)amended by royal decree in 2011 | amendments: promulgated by the sultan or proposed by the Council of Oman and drafted by a technical committee as stipulated by royal decree and then promulgated through royal decree; amended by royal decree in 2011 (2016)
Country name
conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman | conventional short form: Oman | local long form: Saltanat Uman | local short form: Uman | former: Sultanate of Muscat and Oman | etymology: the origin of the name is uncertain, but it apparently dates back at least 2,000 years since an "Omana" is mentioned by Pliny the Elder (1st century A.D.) and an "Omanon" by Ptolemy (2nd century A.D.)
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Marc J. SIEVERS (since 15 December 2016) | telephone: [968] 24-643-400 | embassy: P.C. 115, Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos, Muscat | mailing address: P.O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos, Muscat | FAX: [968] 24-643-740
Diplomatic representation in the US
Ambassador Hunaina bint Sultan bin Ahmad al-MUGHAIRI (since 2 December 2005) | chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 | FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933
Executive branch
chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972); note - the monarch is both chief of state and head of government | head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch | elections/appointments: members of the Ruling Family Council determine a successor from the sultan's extended family; if the Council cannot form a consensus within 3 days of the sultan's death or incapacitation, the Defense Council will relay a predetermined heir as chosen by the sultan
Flag description
three horizontal bands of white (top), red, and green of equal width with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered near the top of the vertical band; white represents peace and prosperity, red recalls battles against foreign invaders, and green symbolizes the Jebel al Akhdar (Green Mountains) and fertility
Government type
absolute monarchy
Independence
1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch
highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of 5 judges) | judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the 9-member Supreme Judicial Council (chaired by the monarch) and appointed by the monarch; judges appointed for life | subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Administrative Court; Courts of First Instance; sharia courts; magistrates' courts; military courts
Legal system
mixed legal system of Anglo-Saxon law and Islamic law
Legislative branch
description: bicameral Council of Oman or Majlis Oman consists of: Council of State or Majlis al-Dawla (85 seats including the chairman; members appointed by the sultan from among former government officials and prominent educators, businessmen, and citizens) Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (84 seats; members directly elected in single- and 2-seat constituencies by simple majority popular vote to serve renewable 4-year terms); note - since political reforms in 2011, legislation from the Consultative Council is submitted to the Council of State for review by the Royal Court | elections: Council of State - last appointments on 7 November 2015 (next - NA) Consultative Assembly - last held on 27 October 2019 (next to be held in October 2023) | election results: Council of State - composition - men 72, women 13, percent of women 15.3% Consultative Council percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA (organized political parties in Oman are legally banned); composition men 83, women 2, percent of women 2.4%; note - total Council of Oman percent of women 8.8%
National anthem
name: "Nashid as-Salaam as-Sultani" (The Sultan's Anthem) | lyrics/music: Rashid bin Uzayyiz al KHUSAIDI/James Frederick MILLS, arranged by Bernard EBBINGHAUS | note: adopted 1932; new lyrics written after QABOOS bin Said al Said gained power in 1970; first performed by the band of a British ship as a salute to the Sultan during a 1932 visit to Muscat; the bandmaster of the HMS Hawkins was asked to write a salutation to the Sultan on the occasion of his ship visit
National holiday
National Day, 18 November; note - coincides with the birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940)
National symbol(s)
khanjar dagger superimposed on two crossed swords; national colors: red, white, green
Political parties and leaders
none; note - organized political parties are legally banned in Oman, and loyalties tend to form around tribal affiliations
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal; note - members of the military and security forces by law cannot vote
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
Background
The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered from Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, the nascent 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, although the sultanate never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al-Said overthrew his father, and has since ruled as sultan. Sultan QABOOS has no children and has not designated a successor publicly; the Basic Law of 1996 outlines Oman’s succession procedure. Sultan QABOOS’ extensive modernization program opened the country to the outside world, and the sultan has prioritized strategic ties with the UK and US. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with its neighbors and to avoid external entanglements. Inspired by the popular uprisings that swept the Middle East and North Africa beginning in January 2011, some Omanis staged demonstrations, calling for more jobs and economic benefits and an end to corruption. In response to those protester demands, QABOOS in 2011 pledged to implement economic and political reforms, such as granting Oman’s bicameral legislative body more power and authorizing direct elections for its lower house, which took place in November 2011. Additionally, the Sultan increased unemployment benefits, and, in August 2012, issued a royal directive mandating the speedy implementation of a national job creation plan for thousands of public and private sector Omani 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 have the power to advise the Royal Court on the needs of local districts across Oman's 11 governorates.
◆ MILITARY AND SECURITY(4 fields)
Maritime threats
the Maritime Administration of the US Department of Transportation has issued a Maritime Advisory (2019-012-Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Red Sea-Threats to US and International Shipping from Iran) effective 7 August 2019, which states in part that "heightened military activities and increased political tensions in this region continue to present risk to commercial shipping...there is a continued possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take actions against US and partner interests in the region;" at present, Iran has seized two foreign-flagged tankers in the Persian Gulf; the US and UK navies have established Operation Sentinel to provide escorts for commercial shipping transiting the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman
Military and security forces
Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF): Royal Army of Oman (RAO), Royal Navy of Oman (RNO), Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO), Royal Guard of Oman (RGO) (2019) | The Royal Oman Police Coast Guard is separate from the SAF.
Military expenditures
8.17% of GDP (2018) | 9.56% of GDP (2017) | 11.97% of GDP (2016) | 10.79% of GDP (2015) | 10.14% of GDP (2014)
Military service age and obligation
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)
◆ PEOPLE AND SOCIETY(35 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 30.1% (male 539,202 /female 512,416) | 15-24 years: 18.26% (male 334,784 /female 303,172) | 25-54 years: 44.15% (male 886,080 /female 656,734) | 55-64 years: 3.94% (male 73,233 /female 64,450) | 65 years and over: 3.55% (male 60,354 /female 63,691) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Middle East :: Oman Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Oman. 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.
Birth rate
23.7 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
9.7% (2014)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
29.7% (2014)
Current Health Expenditure
4.3% (2016)
Death rate
3.3 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 32.4 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 29.4 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 3.1 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 32.6 (2015 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 95.5% of population | rural: 86.1% of population | total: 93.4% of population | unimproved: urban: 4.5% of population | rural: 13.9% of population | total: 6.6% of population (2015 est.)
Education expenditures
6.8% of GDP (2017)
Ethnic groups
Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.2% (2018)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
100 (2018)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
3,200 (2018)
Hospital bed density
1.6 beds/1,000 population (2014)
Infant mortality rate
total: 12.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 12.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Swahili, Urdu, Indian dialects
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.9 years (2018 est.) | male: 73.9 years | female: 78 years
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 96.1% | male: 97.4% | female: 93.2% (2017)
Major urban areas - population
1.502 million MUSCAT (capital) (2019)
Maternal mortality rate
19 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Median age
total: 25.8 years (2018 est.) | male: 26.8 years | female: 24.5 years
Nationality
noun: Omani(s) | adjective: Omani
Net migration rate
-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
27% (2016)
Physicians density
1.97 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Population
4,613,241 (July 2017 est. est.) | note: immigrants make up approximately 45% of the total population (2017)
Population distribution
the vast majority of the population is located in and around the Al Hagar Mountains in the north of the country; another smaller cluster is found around the city of Salalah in the far south; most of the country remains sparsely poplulated
Population growth rate
2% (2018 est.)
Religions
Muslim 85.9%, Christian 6.5%, Hindu 5.5%, Buddhist 0.8%, Jewish <0.1%, other 1%, unaffiliated 0.2% (2010 est.) | note: Omani citizens represent approximately 56.4% of the population and are overwhelming Muslim (Ibadhi and Sunni sects each constitute about 45% and Shia about 5%); Christians, Hindus, and Buddhists account for roughly 5% of Omani citizens | MENA religious affiliation: PDF
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 97.3% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 94.7% of population (2015 est.) | total: 96.7% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 2.7% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 5.3% of population (2015 est.) | total: 3.3% of population (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 15 years | male: 14 years | female: 15 years (2016)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.1 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.35 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female | total population: 1.18 male(s)/female (2018 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.8 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 13.7% | male: 10.3% | female: 33.9% (2016)
Urbanization
urban population: 85.4% of total population (2019) | rate of urbanization: 5.25% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(2 fields)
Disputes - international
boundary agreement reportedly signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah exclave, but details of the alignment have not been made public
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 5,000 (Yemen) (2017)
◆ TRANSPORTATION(10 fields)
Airports
132 (2013)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 13 (2017) | over 3,047 m: 7 (2017) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 (2017) | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 119 (2013) | over 3,047 m: 2 (2013) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 51 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 33 (2013) | under 914 m: 26 (2013)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
A4O (2016)
Heliports
3 (2013)
Merchant marine
total: 51 | by type: general cargo 9, other 42 (2018)
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 45 (2015) | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 6,365,784 (2015) | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 412,234,008 mt-km (2015)
Pipelines
106 km condensate, 4224 km gas, 3558 km oil, 33 km oil/gas/water, 264 km refined products (2013)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Mina' Qabus, Salalah, Suhar | container port(s) (TEUs): Salalah (3,946,421) (2017) | LNG terminal(s) (export): Qalhat
Roadways
total: 60,230 km (2012) | paved: 29,685 km (includes 1,943 km of expressways) (2012) | unpaved: 30,545 km (2012)