MUSCAT: Six per cent of the total Omani population is in the age group 60 years and above by the middle of 2017, says the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) report. In terms of numbers, it comes to 149,824. This means the rate of increase in the elderly Omanis between 2013 and 2017 was 15.4 per cent. The percentage of males among the elderly was 48 (71,675) and females 52 (78,149). It means there were 92 elderly men for every 100 elderly women.
The largest number of people was in the age group 60 to 64 years — 42,967 — or 29 per cent of the total elderly population. The age group 75 to 79 years accounted for 14 per cent (20,955) of the total elderly population. The number of patients in the age group 60 years and above who visited outpatient clinics of the Ministry of Health (MoH) in 2017 reached 85,523 as against 65,874 in 2013. The total number of elderly patients in MoH institutions was 2,304 in 2017, with diseases of the circulatory system being main cause of admission.
The total number of deaths of people aged 60 years and above in MoH-affiliated hospitals increased from 1,870 in 2013 to 2,217.
There were 647 deaths (29.2 per cent) of elderly people due to diseases related to the heart and blood vessels. In addition, 464 (20.9 per cent) died due to blood poisoning. Similarly, 414 (18.7 per cent) died due to respiratory diseases.
The illiteracy rate of those in the age group 60 to 79 years fell from 30 per cent (37,496) in 2013 to 23.5 per cent (22,604) in 2017.
The number of elderly Omanis employed in the public and private sectors decreased from 2,380 in 2013 to 2,165 in 2017.
The number of those in the age group 60 years and above working in handicraft industries -- cotton, woollen fabrics, incense and cosmetic products – in 2017 rose to 3,870 compared with 2,796 in 2013.
A total of 39 per cent (91,745) retired from government and private sector at the age of 60 in 2017 as against 41 per cent (69,247) in 2013.
The number of elderly citizens insured by pension funds was 2,456 out of a total of 438,862.
The number of elderly persons benefiting from social security was 33,889 (42.6 per cent) as against 32,356 in 2013. Of these, 53 per cent were women and 47 per cent men.
The total social security amount disbursed to the old age group was RO 53,085,573 (43.2 per cent) in 2017.
The number of elderly who were provided home care services was 1,227 in 2017.
In terms of security and safety, the number of elderly Omani offenders was 363 (1.7 per cent) in 2017.
The total land distributed to those in the age group 60 years and above was 2,739 (7.4 per cent) plots out of a total of 36,902 plots distributed in 2017. Of these, 84 per cent were women and 16 per cent men.
The number of those in the age group 60 years and above who voted in the eighth election of members of Majlis Ash’shura 2015-2019 was 33,306 (11.2 per cent). The number of voters was 297,905.
There were 590 candidates, of which six were male. There were no elderly females in the fray.
The number of elderly voters in the second term 2016-20 of elections to municipal councils was 25,369 (11.6 per cent). The total number of voters was 218,779. There were 731 candidates, of which 60 were elderly males. There were no elderly women in the fray. — ONA
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