Oman: First population decline in 10 years

Oman’s population declined by 3 per cent in 2020, for the first time in 10 years, according to the data issued by the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

The NCSI said that the sultanate’s population as of September 12 stood at 4.41 million, with 63 per cent being Omani and expats constituting 37 per cent.

Bangladeshis remain the largest expat community with a population of 528,682, followed by Indians (465,037) and Pakistanis (179,408).

The NCSI figures also revealed that more than 215,000 expat workers have left Oman between March 2020 and March 2021. Expats employed in the government sector accordingly fell from 53,332 to 49,898, while in the private sector, expat worker figures dropped from 1,608,781, to 1,403,287.

According to experts, the decline in the country’s population is attributed to many reasons including the government’s efforts to increase Omanisation rate in the public and private sectors in addition to Covid-19, which led many companies to terminate the service of both Omanis and expats.

Following the recent dismissal of some Omani citizens from a number of private sector companies, the Ministry of Labour yesterday confirmed that it is closely following the cases.

In a statement, the ministry said it is working to find solutions and is in constant contact with the concerned parties to find a solution in a way that achieves job stability and security for the national workforce.