MUSCAT: The trade volume of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states reached $1.482 trillion in 2023, according to the 9th Atlas of GCC Statistics for 2024, compiled by the GCC Statistical Centre.
The atlas highlights key statistical maps, data dashboards and interactive statistical information, showing their distributions both at the country level and within administrative regions. These are illustrated with graphs and geographical maps, linking statistical data to its geographical location, which enhances the value of the information and supports its use in planning across various fields.
In remarks during the launch of the Atlas, Jassim Mohammed al Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), emphasised that the project represents one of the most important foundations for planning and development in the journey of joint Gulf cooperation. He explained that the Atlas serves as a live model of data sources that contribute to shaping future policies to achieve further growth and prosperity for the GCC countries under the wise leadership of the GCC leaders.
Intisar bint Abdullah al Wahaibiyah, Director-General of the GCC Statistical Centre, highlighted that the Statistical Atlas is one of the leading annual publications in the field of geographic information systems. She added that the Atlas was presented in an innovative manner by integrating statistical indicators with geographic information, which enhances access to data and enables deeper and more comprehensive analysis.
Total commodity exports amounted to $823.1 billion, with national oil exports making up 63.8 per cent, non-oil exports 19.3 per cent, and re-exports 16.9 per cent. Intra-GCC commodity exports were valued at $131.6 billion.
In macroeconomic terms, the GCC’s nominal GDP stood at $2.113 trillion in 2023, with an annual growth rate decrease of 3.5 per cent compared to 2022. The inflation rate in the GCC was recorded at 2.2 per cent in 2023.
The population of the six GCC countries reached 57.6 million in 2023, compared to 56.6 million in 2022. Males accounted for 62.4 per cent of the total population, while females made up 37.6 per cent. The report also indicates that the population density was 23.9 people per square kilometre, with the total area of the GCC countries amounting to 2.4 million square kilometres.
The Atlas revealed that the total workforce in the GCC countries reached approximately 33.1 million in 2023, compared to 30.3 million in 2022. According to the GCC Statistical Centre, 45.0 million people were of working age (15 years and above) in the GCC countries in 2023.
The Atlas also reported marriage and divorce statistics, showing that the marriage rate in 2022 stood at 4.7 contracts per 1,000 people aged 15 and above in the GCC, while the divorce rate was 1.8 cases per 1,000 people in the same age group.
In terms of education, the total number of students in early childhood education, including nurseries and kindergartens, reached 712,400 in the 2021/2022 academic year. Meanwhile, the total number of school students across the GCC was 8.9 million for the same period.
Regarding healthcare, the GCC had approximately 843 government hospitals in 2022, representing 58.4 per cent of the total, with private hospitals accounting for 41.6 per cent. The number of hospital beds across the GCC reached 122,100, with 74.6 per cent in government hospitals and 25.4 per cent in private ones. The number of physicians stood at 29.6 per 10,000 residents, while there were 61.2 nurses per 10,000 residents in 2022.
For water statistics, the Centre reported an 18.8-per cent average annual growth in rainfall across the GCC between 2000 and 2022, with 214.1 billion cubic metres of rainfall recorded in 2022. The production of desalinated water grew by 9.0 per cent annually over the same period. In 2022, 1.4 billion cubic metres of treated water were used for irrigation, 3.7 billion cubic metres of surface water were recorded, and the number of wastewater treatment plants increased by 10.1 per cent compared to 2021.
Tourism statistics showed that 68.1 million tourists visited the GCC in 2023. The region had 10,900 hotel establishments, offering a total of 696,600 rooms.
In telecommunications, the GCC had 5.5 million fixed phone lines and 94.9 million mobile subscriptions in 2023.
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