Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman’s government is eager to assist different age groups to play roles and meet their needs by enacting various measures that guarantee them the rights and provide necessary aid and tools that allow them to take control of their lives.
According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information’s (NCSI) most recent periodic survey, children account for 44 per cent of the Sultanate of Oman’s population. Between 2017 and 2021, the population of children increased by 16 per cent, rising from 1,051,862 to 1,221,751.
Muscat and Batinah North have 39 per cent of the children (0 to 17 years old), while Musandam and Wusta have only 2 per cent.
The number of living Omani newborns decreased by 15 per cent from 33.5 in 2017 to 27.3 in 2021, while the mortality rate of infants (less than 5 years old) decreased by 23 per cent during the same period.
According to NCSI, between 2017 and 2022, approximately 765,000 children are enrolled in kindergartens throughout the Sultanate of Oman, while 733,900 are enrolled in private and government schools.
The survey, on the other hand, revealed that there are 455,983 Omani youth in the Sultanate of Oman, accounting for 19.4 per cent of the total population. 97,980 are enrolled in various higher education institutions, with 20,967 graduating in the academic year 2020/2021. There are approximately 171,500 employed youth, 60 per cent of whom work in the private sector and 40 per cent in the government sector.
75 per cent of youth are job seekers, with 34 per cent holding a general diploma, but the rate of job seekers has decreased by 33 per cent between 2020 and 2021.
84 per cent of the owners of vehicles in the Sultanate of Oman are male youth while 34 per cent of the land owners are women.
In regards to the number of cases of abuse among Omani children monitored by the Child Protection hotline, the number increased by 9.3 per cent from 562 cases in 2020 to 584 cases in 2021. The most common types of abuse experienced by children are 46 per cent (negligence), 30 per cent (physical abuse), and 24 per cent (others). Muscat and Al Batinah North governorates accounted for 69 per cent of the observed cases of abuse.
Meanwhile, the survey indicated that approximately 45 elderly people reside in the Social Welfare Home in Al Rustaq in 2021. 3,308 old people receive social care services from the government.
The number of females increased by 11.9 per cent in the years 2017 to 2021, it account for approximately 49.6 per cent of the total population. 60 per cent of those with bachelor’s degrees or higher are females; 18 per cent of women are self-employed, and 28 per cent contribute to the labour force.
The report also focuses on people with disabilities, with 57 per cent having a congenital disability and 57 per cent having a hearing or physical disability. 18 per cent of all disabilities occur during birth, with Al Batinah North housing 22 per cent of all disabled people.
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