MUSCAT, MARCH 17 - The average monthly income of households in the Sultanate registered a significant rise of 21.5 per cent during the eight-year period from 2011. According to a survey conducted by National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the income reached RO 1,173 compared to RO 965 in 2011.
The results of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey by NCSI, which started on October 20, 2018, was carried out for the fourth time and had been conducted among 5,660 Omani and expatriate households.
“While the monthly average income of Omani households reached RO 1,552, the average income of expatriate households reached RO 668”, the survey reveals.
Wages and salaries had been the main source of income of 83 per cent of the Omani households, which is a drop from 87 per cent in 2011 to 78 per cent in 2019.
“The percentage of pension, which 15 per cent of Omani households depend on, recorded an increase by 15 per cent, compared to 5.5 per cent in 2011”, it points out.
The percentage of transfers and other sources of income also increased to 2.6 per cent, compared to 1.2 per cent in 2011.
The results also showed that the percentage of private projects and own account worker declined from 4.3 per cent to 3.3 per cent despite an increase in the average income from private projects from RO 838 to RO 1,234. Meanwhile, income from properties also declined from 2 per cent to 1.1 per cent.
“A large percentage of urban households enjoy public services at a distance of less than one kilometre from their homes, recording 99 per cent proximity to paved roads, 64 per cent proximity to primary schools, 93 per cent proximity to commercial shops, and 45 per cent proximity to a health centre or hospital”, reveals the survey.
According to it, as much as 50.6 per cent of households use bottled drinking water in urban areas while the percentage of households depending on water network has increased to 72.2 per cent compared to 68.9 per cent in the results included in 2011 survey.
The percentage of households depending on governmental water point also increased to 15.5 per cent, compared to 10.3 per cent in the result of 2011 survey. The percentage of households depending on a private well inside or outside their house has declined to 8.4 per cent and 3.7 per cent, respectively, compared to 11.4 per cent and 8.4 per cent in the result of 2011 survey.
The percentage of households that depend on other water sources fell to 0.2 per cent, compared to 0.9 per cent in the result of 2011 survey.
Regarding household expenditure in the Sultanate, the expenses for food and drink accounted for 24.6 per cent (23.4 per cent in urban areas and 28.8 per cent in villages), which is less than the expenditure for the same purpose in the result of 2011 survey that reached 29 per cent (26 per cent in urban areas and 34.3 per cent in villages). The percentage increases in villages due to an increase in the size of households by about 1.2 persons, compared to households in urban areas.
The average consumption of food and drinks by Omani households reached 25.3 per cent with an average expenditure of RO 587, compared to RO 657.7 in the 2011 survey, which is a drop by 31.1 per cent.
Regarding the percentage of monthly consumption of food and drink among households, the consumption of meat and poultry was up from 18.6 per cent in 2011 survey to 20.7 per cent in 2019. Those depending on restaurants for meals increased from 15.8 per cent to 16.2 per cent.
The consumption of fish increased from 7.2 per cent to 7.5 per cent, oils and fats from 2.1 per cent to 2.2 per cent and other products from 3.9 per cent to 5.3 per cent.
The results also showed that the consumption of cereals and their products dropped from 12.5 per cent to 12.3 per cent while the consumption of vegetables and legumes decreased from 10.4 per cent to 8.2 per cent.
The consumption of dairy products and eggs declined from 10 per cent to 9.8 per cent, fruits from 9.2 per cent to 8.5 per cent, non-alcoholic drinks from 6.5 per cent to 5.9 per cent, and sugar and honey from 3.9 per cent to 3.3 per cent.
In non-food and drink category, the average monthly expenditure recorded an increase housing by 27.2 per cent, compared to 26 per cent in 2011. The average spending on transport rose from 20.7 per cent to 21.1 per cent while the average spending on household supplies increased from 8.3 per cent to 11.8 per cent.
The average monthly expenses for clothes and shoes accounted for 10.1 per cent, decreased from 10.4 per cent, while the spending of the households on communication services fell from 12.3 per cent to 9.5 per cent. The spending on personal care was recorded at 6.4 per cent which is the same as in the results of 2011 survey.
The average monthly expenditure on education and culture decreased to 5.9 per cent, compared to 7.3 per cent as in the results of 2011 survey; and travel and tourism costs reached 4.1 per cent, compared to 4.6 per cent in 2011.
The average medical expenses increased to 2 per cent, compared to 1.8 per cent in 2011, while the average consumption of other goods and products increased to 2.2 per cent, compared to 1.8 per cent in the results of 2011 survey.
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