Thursday 01 / October / 2026
Muscat: The total number of elderly people in the Sultanate of Oman reached about 256,469 in 2025, of whom Omanis constituted about 73.5 percent, with a total of 188,390 Omani elderly people, an increase of about 4 percent compared to 2024.
Statistical data issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information indicated that more than half of Oman’s elderly population is concentrated in the governorates of Muscat, Al Dakhiliyah and North Al Batinah, and projections indicate that the total number of Oman’s elderly population will rise to about 385,395 by 2040.
Health indicators showed that the total number of admissions of elderly Omanis in Ministry of Health institutions was 46,517 in 2025, a decrease of about 3 percent compared to the previous year, and respiratory diseases constituted 14 percent of the total admissions.
The total number of deaths of elderly Omanis in Ministry of Health institutions reached 2,596 in 2025, a decrease of about 45 percent compared to 2024. Circulatory diseases constituted 24 percent of the total deaths of elderly Omanis in Ministry of Health institutions.
In the field of education, indicators showed that 33 percent of all elderly Omanis in 2025 lacked any educational qualifications, totaling 62,723 individuals, of whom 32 percent were males and 68 percent females. Furthermore, elderly Omanis with qualifications below a general education diploma constituted approximately 26.3 percent of the total elderly Omani population in 2025.
Regarding marital status, the indicators showed that 88 percent of all elderly Omani males are married, compared to 49 percent of all elderly Omani females who are married.
In economic indicators, the dependency ratio for elderly Omanis reached 10.8 in 2025, compared to 10.7 in 2024. Retirees constituted approximately 26 percent of the total elderly Omani population. The total number of employed elderly Omanis reached 53,900 in 2025, a decrease of about 5 percent compared to the previous year, while the number of elderly Omani business owners reached 7,637, compared to 11,958 in the previous year.
Indicators related to ownership showed that 72 percent of all elderly Omanis owned one or more plots of land in 2025, while the percentage of those who owned one or more housing units reached 51 percent, and the total number of elderly Omanis who owned one or more vehicles reached 64,200.
Regarding social protection, the number of beneficiaries of elderly benefits increased by approximately 6 percent, reaching 174,662 in 2025, representing 93 percent of the total elderly population. The Muscat Governorate recorded the highest number of elderly beneficiaries, with 38,192, accounting for 22 percent of the total.
The number of beneficiaries of services provided to the elderly also increased by about 20 percent, reaching 6,996 beneficiaries in 2025.
The total number of retirees registered with pension funds reached approximately 160,000, a decrease of about 4 percent compared to the previous year. Retirees from the public sector constituted 66 percent of the total. Indicators also showed that 43 percent of all female retirees who left service did so by resignation up to the end of 2025.
