A gradual increase in Omani workforce, a drop in expats
Published: 07:03 AM,Mar 31,2026 | EDITED : 11:03 AM,Mar 31,2026
Muscat: There has been seen a gradual increase in the number of Omani workers and subsequently in the number of expatriates.
The number of Omani workers increased from 890,030 in 2025 to 892,217 in January 2026 and 893,707 in February 2026.
The number of expatriate workers decreased from 1,816,185 in 2025 to 1,806,228 in January 2026 and to 1,794,101.
The number of Bangladeshis decreased from 612,208 in 2025 to 609,259 in February 2026, Indians from 520,447 to 512,786, Pakistanis from 296,459 to 292,792.
Total population
Overall, Oman has a population of 5,368,297, including 2,321,416 expatriates in February 2026, compared to 5,276,516 in 2025.
Muscat has 937,463 expatriates compared to 597,379 Omanis, while Dhofar has 288,574 expatriates compared to 245,867 Omanis.