Life Expectancy

In the Arab world, people’s life expectancy is not usually comparable to that of Western Europeans or North Americans. There are varying underlying causes for this difference. However, in Oman, life expectancy in recent decades has been approaching that of the western world. In 2015, the average life expectancy was 76 for both genders. In comparison, Omani life expectancy only 30 years earlier was just 41. This change is as remarkable and rapid as any progress on life expectancy in the entirety of the Persian Gulf Sultanates.

Where does the progress in terms of life expectancy stem from?

There are a lot of answers to this question as well. The simplest is: the good governance of Sultan Qaboos is bearing fruit – under this ruler, one of the most modern health systems in the world was developed and implemented. In addition, there has been longstanding peace in the country. When the Qaboos Sultan’s came into power in the 1970s, tribal feuding was not uncommon; however, today, there is peace throughout the country. The military ensures that this peace is not threatened by the unrest of neighboring nations. The country’s high life expectancy contributes to the fact that Oman has one of the lowest mortality rates worldwide.

In general, the population is trending towards a very young nation

More than 50 % of Omanis are under the age of 18 – a clear sign that citizens of the country are reproducing and not afraid to bring children into the world. The young people in Oman are supported by an excellent school system and are well cared for by the health system mentioned above. All in all, it can be said that Oman is well on its way to catching up with the countries of Western Europe and North America in terms of life expectancy and quality of life, quality of health care and pensions. The country is already on par with the USA in terms of life expectancy.