Oman: Population
Chapter 3: Persian Gulf, Arabian Peninsula
Oman: Population
Population, Ethnic Groups
/ Language, Religion / Education, Health
/ Statistics
Overview
/ Leadership / System Essentials
/ Infrastructure / Fielded Forces
/ Table of Contents
Sultan Qabus ibn Said Al Said presents gifts to graduates of Sultan Qabus University
Oman has a population of 1.7 million (1994 est.) and an annual growth rate of 3.46% (1994 est.). About one-third of the population live in Muscat and the Batinah coastal plain northwest of the capital; some 60,000 live in the southern province of Dhofar; and about 15,000 live in the remote Musandam Peninsula on the Strait of Hormuz.
The major ethnic groups located in Oman are Arab, Baluchi, Urdu, Zanzibari, and Indian. Foreigners comprise about 25% of the population and 50% of the nonagricultural work force. At least 300,000 expatriates live in Oman, most of whom are guest workers form India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Jordan, and the Philippines.
The official language of Oman is Arabic, but English is widely spoken in business and government.
The majority of Omanis are Ibadite Muslims (75%). The remainder of the population are mostly Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims, or Hindus.
Free public schools consist of a primary level of six years, a lower secondary level of three years, and an upper secondary level of three years. Most teachers are (60 percent) foreign. The government has given a high priority to education in an effort to develop a domestic work force. The country's first university opened in 1986 and many Omanis pursue higher education abroad.
Improvement and expansion of health care facilities remain a major ongoing government priority. In 1994, infant mortality was estimated at thirty-seven per 1,000 population while the average life expectancy was sixty-eight years at birth.
World ranking (of 191)