World 8.2bn peopleGDP $118tnLife expectancy 73.5 yrsOnline 73.6%
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Labour · Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · High income

Oman: the labour market

Labour force is 2.8m (2025), 116th of 187 in the world and 16th of 23 in the Middle East & North Africa. Participation rate is 68.4% (2025), 34th of 187 in the world and 5th of 23 in the Middle East & North Africa. Women's participation is 30.0% (2025), 167th of 187 in the world and 9th of 23 in the Middle East & North Africa.

Labour force2.8m2025 · world 116/187 · region 16/23Participation rate68.4%2025 · world 34/187 · region 5/23Women's participation30.0%2025 · world 167/187 · region 9/23Employment rate66.2%2025 · world 33/187 · region 5/23
Labour force
Oman
01.0m2.0m3.0m1995200020052010201520202025Oman2.8m
Participation rate
OmanMiddle East, North Africa, A…High incomeWorld
40%50%60%70%80%1995200020052010201520202025Oman68.4%Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & PakistanHigh incomeWorld
13 indicators

Labour: Oman in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Labour forceLabour force, total2.8m2025116/18716/23812,9511.2m2.2m+26%since 2015264m734m3.7bn
Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+68.4%202534/1875/2356.2%59.6%66.0%−1.1 ppsince 201547.4%61.0%61.0%
Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+30.0%2025167/1879/2323.9%26.5%29.1%+0.3 ppsince 201519.7%54.3%48.9%
Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO)66.2%202533/1875/2353.7%57.3%64.0%−0.9 ppsince 201543.7%58.3%58.1%
UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO)3.3%2025139/18717/234.4%3.9%2.9%−0.2 ppsince 20157.8%4.4%4.8%
Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO)11.1%202543/18714/238.4%8.9%10.9%−1.5 ppsince 201512.1%4.6%4.9%
Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO)13.9%202587/18716/2313.7%13.9%13.5%−1.3 ppsince 201518.7%11.5%13.4%
Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, %25.5%202248/1707/16··25.5%2022—32.2%10.6%—
Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment95.0%20255/1874/2387.6%95.7%94.9%−0.2 ppsince 201561.0%88.9%53.6%
Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO)3.8%2025180/18718/2310.6%3.2%4.1%+0.2 ppsince 201536.1%8.0%42.4%
Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment5.9%2025128/18713/236.4%5.2%5.2%+0.7 ppsince 201521.7%2.9%25.8%
Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment39.4%20251/1871/2311.2%36.9%33.7%+2.0 ppsince 201526.6%22.2%23.7%
Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment54.6%2025109/18717/2382.4%58.0%61.0%−2.6 ppsince 201551.7%74.9%50.6%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Oman and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Oman. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorOmanIranYemenSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab Emirates
Labour force2.8m202529.5m20258.2m202518.4m20257.6m2025
Participation rate68.4%202541.0%202533.1%202565.1%202578.6%2025
Women's participation30.0%202514.0%20254.7%202533.6%202553.0%2025
Employment rate66.2%202537.6%202527.4%202563.1%202576.9%2025
Unemployment3.3%20258.3%202517.3%20253.0%20252.2%2025
Female unemployment11.1%202515.6%202530.3%20259.7%20254.2%2025
Youth unemployment13.9%202521.9%202532.6%202510.0%20256.5%2025
Youth NEET rate25.5%202224.3%202444.8%201416.4%20257.5%2025
Wage workers95.0%202557.1%202547.4%202594.5%202594.9%2025
Iran: labourYemen: labourSaudi Arabia: labourUnited Arab Emirates: labour
Labour in Middle East & North Africaall 23 economies rankedLabour: high-income countries86 economies rankedLabour: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesOman: all key statisticscountry profile