01
Physical geography
Central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south.
Local timeMuscat ·
Asia / Western Asia · Card 032
Oman
Oman is a country in Western Asia. Its capital is Muscat.
Find Oman
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Muscat
- Languages
- Arabic
- Currency
- Omani rial (OMR)
- Population
- 5.5 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 309,500 km²119,499 square miles
- Statehood
- Long-established sultanate
Oman in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Muscat; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Arabic.
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Location
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and the UAE.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of white (top), red, and green, with a vertical red band on the left side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath on top of crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered near the top of the vertical band
History & status
Oman has a long history as a sultanate and maritime trading power. Muscat and the interior were brought under firmer central authority during the twentieth century. The accession of Sultan Qaboos in 1970 began a period of extensive infrastructure development and modernization.
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Portuguese expelled from Muscat
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Modernization under Sultan Qaboos begins
-
First Basic Law issued
Economy
Main activities
Oil and natural gas support exports and public revenue. Logistics, tourism, fisheries, manufacturing and mining are important areas of diversification.
Industry and production
crude oil production and refining, natural and liquefied natural gas production; construction, cement, copper, steel, chemicals, optic fiber
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people5.52025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 662,680 | 0.663 |
| 1980 | 1,001,248 | 1.001 |
| 1990 | 1,763,954 | 1.764 |
| 2000 | 2,282,131 | 2.282 |
| 2010 | 2,757,446 | 2.757 |
| 2020 | 4,522,497 | 4.522 |
| 2025 | 5,494,691 | 5.495 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars93.82025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 29,333,594,830 | 29.334 |
| 1991 | 31,115,340,233 | 31.115 |
| 1992 | 33,733,348,947 | 33.733 |
| 1993 | 35,771,841,958 | 35.772 |
| 1994 | 37,158,277,767 | 37.158 |
| 1995 | 39,015,009,844 | 39.015 |
| 1996 | 40,203,383,600 | 40.203 |
| 1997 | 42,629,059,778 | 42.629 |
| 1998 | 42,600,125,690 | 42.600 |
| 1999 | 42,726,901,831 | 42.727 |
| 2000 | 45,372,727,045 | 45.373 |
| 2001 | 47,465,846,486 | 47.466 |
| 2002 | 47,093,635,558 | 47.094 |
| 2003 | 46,060,087,701 | 46.060 |
| 2004 | 46,977,841,908 | 46.978 |
| 2005 | 48,283,564,529 | 48.284 |
| 2006 | 50,538,317,581 | 50.538 |
| 2007 | 53,055,456,656 | 53.055 |
| 2008 | 57,803,951,303 | 57.804 |
| 2009 | 61,261,764,565 | 61.262 |
| 2010 | 62,776,154,507 | 62.776 |
| 2011 | 64,593,279,187 | 64.593 |
| 2012 | 70,318,260,490 | 70.318 |
| 2013 | 73,994,291,063 | 73.994 |
| 2014 | 74,950,483,987 | 74.950 |
| 2015 | 78,710,793,238 | 78.711 |
| 2016 | 82,682,873,556 | 82.683 |
| 2017 | 82,934,277,089 | 82.934 |
| 2018 | 84,001,727,416 | 84.002 |
| 2019 | 83,053,651,985 | 83.054 |
| 2020 | 80,246,670,661 | 80.247 |
| 2021 | 82,318,780,120 | 82.319 |
| 2022 | 88,892,516,940 | 88.893 |
| 2023 | 90,149,469,425 | 90.149 |
| 2024 | 91,620,377,299 | 91.620 |
| 2025 | 93,817,318,343 | 93.817 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.858Very High human developmentRank 50 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
20000.707
20100.804
20200.843
20230.858
80.0 yearsLife expectancy at birth
11.9 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Hereditary monarchy headed by the sultan. The Council of Oman has an appointed State Council and an elected Consultative Council; the sultan retains broad executive authority.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Oman.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
In which year did this event occur in Oman: First Basic Law issued?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.