Overview
Comparing Oman’s Human Development Index to the global average provides context for the Sultanate’s development achievements and remaining challenges. Oman’s transformation from one of the world’s least developed countries in 1970 to high human development status is remarkable.
Oman’s HDI Performance
Oman’s HDI score of approximately 0.816 places it in the very high human development category, ranking around 60th out of 191 countries. Key achievements include life expectancy of over 77 years, near-universal literacy, and a GNI per capita exceeding USD 36,000 (PPP). Oman’s HDI has improved by over 60 percent since 1990, one of the fastest rates of improvement globally during this period.
Global Average HDI
The global average HDI is approximately 0.732, with significant variation between regions. Sub-Saharan Africa averages around 0.547, while OECD countries average approximately 0.900. The global average has been rising due to improvements in health and education across developing countries, but progress has slowed since 2020 due to pandemic effects and geopolitical disruptions. Inequality-adjusted HDI scores are typically lower than headline figures.
Key Differences
Oman significantly exceeds the global average on all three HDI dimensions. The gap is largest in income and smallest in education, suggesting room for improvement in educational quality and access to higher education. Oman’s HDI growth rate has outpaced the global average, reflecting rapid modernisation since 1970. However, Oman still trails the top OECD performers.
Verdict / Bottom Line
Oman’s HDI performance validates the success of decades of investment in health and education. To continue improving, Oman should focus on educational quality rather than access, reduce inequality in outcomes across governorates, and invest in lifelong learning. Benchmarking against top-performing small economies rather than the global average would set a more ambitious development target.